BV  3790  . S45  1923 
Sellers,  Ernest  0.  1869- 
Personal  evangelism 


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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
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https://archive.org/details/personalevangeliOOsell 

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PERSONAL  EVANGELISM 


ERNEST  O.  SELLERS 


“Whatever  happens,  be  self-possessed,  flinch 
from  no  suffering,  Do  Your  Work  as  an  Evan¬ 
gelist,  and  discharge  all  your  duties  as  a  minister.” 

2  Timothy  4:5 — Moffatt’s  Translation. 


PERSONAL  EVAN 


Studies  in  Individual  Efforts  to 
Souls  into  Right  Relations  to 


CHRIST 


BY 

ERNEST  O.  SELLERS 


NEW 


YORK 


GEORGE  H.  DORAN  COMPANY 


COPYRIGHT,  1923, 

BY  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  BOARD  OF 
THE  SOUTHERN  BAPTIST  CONVENTION 


PERSONAL  EVANGELISM.  II 


PRINTED  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  OF  AMERICA 


INTRODUCTION 


ERNEST  ORLANDO  SELLERS 
A  Biographical  Note 
By  George  H.  Crutcher,  D.D.,  LL.D. 

PROFESSOR  OF  EVANGELISM  AND  APPLIED  CHRISTIANITY  OF  THE 
BAPTIST  BIBLE  INSTITUTE,  NEW  ORLEANS,  LA. 

Ernest  Orlando  Sellers  is  a  native  of  Michigan. 
Graduating  from  the  Lansing  High  School  at 
sixteen  years  of  age,  he  soon  thereafter  was  ap¬ 
prenticed  a  Surveyor  and  Civil  Engineer  and  at 
twenty-one  was  elected  City  Engineer  and  Super¬ 
intendent  of  Public  Works  of  Lansing,  Michigan, 
devoting  more  than  six  years  to  the  construction 
of  sewers,  pavements,  bridges,  and  other  munici¬ 
pal  enterprises. 

Always  prominent  in  musical  affairs,  church  and 
social,  he  spent  some  time  as  a  student  of  music 
at  the  Moody  Bible  Institute  in  Chicago.  In  the 
fall  of  1896  he  entered  evangelistic  singing,  being 
associated  with  Mr.  Fred  B.  Smith,  now  of  New 
York  City.  Two  years  later  he  went  to  Macon, 
Georgia,  to  be  associated  with  Dr.  John  L.  White, 
then  the  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  of 
that  city. 


VI 


Introduction 


While  in  Macon  he  was  first  elected  to  the  Board 
of  Directors  and  later  General  Secretary  of  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.,  an  organization  dear  to  his  heart,  for 
it  was  in  the  Lansing  Association  that  he  was  led 
to  accept  Christ  as  his  Savior. 

After  building  and  dedicating  a  new  building  in 
Macon  he  accepted  a  position  with  the  Washington 
(D.  C.)  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  and  while  in  that  city  was 
soloist  of  the  First  Baptist  Church.  Later  he 
spent  one  year  as  General  Secretary  of  the 
Wilmington,  Del.,  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  resigning  to  ac¬ 
cept  a  position  as  Director  of  Music  and  Men’s 
Work  in  the  Euclid  Avenue  Baptist  Church  of 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  church  home  of  the  elder  Mr. 
Bockefeller. 

In  this  city  Mr.  Sellers  spent  four  exceedingly 
busy  years.  The  Men’s  Brotherhood  attained  a 
paid  membership  of  more  than  600.  The  Men’s 
Bible  Class  had  an  average  attendance  of  nearly 
100  men.  Mr.  Sellers  also  taught  a  Sunday  School 
teachers’  training  class,  in  the  church,  that  aver¬ 
aged  more  than  fifty  workers  each  week,  and  or¬ 
ganized  and  led  a  May  Musical  Festival  Chorus  of 
1,100  members. 

In  1908  Mr.  Sellers  accepted  a  position  on  the 
faculty  of  the  Moody  Bible  Institute  of  Chicago 
and  was  connected  with  that  institution,  counting 
his  war  work,  for  a  period  of  twelve  years.  The 
first  five  years  at  the  Institute  he  was  assistant  to 
the  late  Dr.  D.  B.  Towner  in  the  Music  Depart- 


Introduction 


vu 


ment  and  following  that  had  charge  of  the  Night 
Classes  (upwards  of  600  students)  and  taught 
Pedagogy,  Child  Study,  and  Sunday  school  meth¬ 
ods  in  the  day  classes. 

During  this  period  of  time  he  had  a  great  deal 
of  evangelistic  experience,  eight  months  with  Dr. 
Torrey  in  many  parts  of  the  country  and  also 
assisted  Gipsy  Smith,  Dr.  J.  Wilbur  Chapman, 
Dr.  A.  C.  Dixon,  and  others  in  various  Chicago 
campaigns.  He  was  also  much  in  demand  for  con¬ 
ventions  and  Sunday  school  tours  in  this  country 
and  Canada. 

While  living  in  Chicago  he  was  for  nine  years  the 
teacher  of  the  famous  Friendly  Bible  Class  of  the 
Moody  Sunday  School,  the  attendance  for  each 
Sunday  being  upwards  of  300. 

In  the  summer  of  1916  Mr.  Sellers  was  invited 
as  a  speaker  and  singer  by  the  Canadian  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  to  visit  the  great  Valcartier  camp  near 
Quebec  and  in  the  summer  of  1917  he  was  a  mem¬ 
ber  of  a  party  under  the  leadership  of  G.  Sher¬ 
wood  Eddy  to  visit  the  British  camps  of  England 
and  France.  Returning  to  this  country,  he  soon 
succeeded  Dr.  John  Timothy  Stone  as  Religious 
Work  Director  for  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  at  Camp 
Grant,  Rockford,  HI.,  a  like  position  to  that  oc¬ 
cupied  by  Dr.  Mullins  at  Camp  Taylor. 

In  November,  1918,  he  again  started  for  Europe, 
reaching  Paris  just  after  the  armistice,  and  re¬ 
mained  in  France  and  Germany  as  a  member  of 


viii  Introduction 

the  Speakers’  Bureau  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  until 
August,  1919. 

During  the  summer  of  1919  President  DeMent 
made  overtures  to  him  to  become  associated  with 
the  Baptist  Bible  Institute  of  New  Orleans,  and 
in  September  of  that  year  he  took  up  his  work 
as  Director  of  Music  and  for  the  first  two  years 
acted  as  teacher  of  Personal  Evangelism  and 
director  of  the  students’  practical  activities.  It 
was  while  thus  teaching  that  he  prepared  these 
lessons. 

It  is  a  matter  for  rejoicing  that  the  head  of  the 
department  of  Gospel  Music  knows  both  the  value 
of  and  the  best  methods  for  doing  Personal  Work. 
It  will  guarantee  a  stronger  type  of  Gospel  singers 
and  a  more  acceptable  type  of  Pastor’s  Assistants. 

Mr.  Sellers  is  a  man  of  pleasing  personality  and 
an  untiring  worker  and  one  of  the  best  conductors 
to  be  found.  In  his  book  on  “  Personal  Evan¬ 
gelism”  he  has  condensed  the  fruitage  of  his 
studies  and  practical  activities  and  I  hail  it  with 
joy. 


G.  H.  C. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Introduction  by  George  H.  Crutcher,  D.D.,  LL.D.  v 
PART  ONE:  EVANGELISM 

CHAPTER 

I  Need  and  Importance  .  .  .  .  .  15 

II  God’s  Plan  for  Man  .  .  .  .  .21 

III  Man’s  Responsibility  for  Man  ...  26 

IV  Where  and  When  To  Do  Personal  Evan¬ 

gelism  ......  .30 

V  Using  the  Bible  with  Men  ...  .35 

VI  The  Individual  To  Be  Won  ....  40 

VII  Our  Dependence  upon  God  ....  45 

VIII  Those  Who  Desire  to  Know  the  Way  of 

Life . 50 

IX  Those  Who  Are  Indifferent  ....  56 

PART  TWO:  DIFFICULTIES 

I  Those  Who  Depend  upon  a  Righteous  Life  63 

II  Those  Who  Say:  “God  Is  Too  Good  to 

Damn  a  Soul”  ......  68 

III  Those  Who  Say:  “I  Am  Feeling  All  Right. 

What  More  Is  Needed?”  ...  .73 

IV  Those  Who  Say:  “I  Am  Too  Great  a 

Sinner ” . 77 

V  Those  Who  Say:  “ I  Must  Become  Better”  82 


IX 


Contents 


x 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

VI  Those  Who  Say:  “I  Cannot  Hold  Out  or 

Give  Up  My  Bad  Habits33  ...  87 

VII  Those  Who  Say:  “I  Have  Tried  and 

Failed”  ......  .93 

VIII  Those  Who  Say:  “The  Christian  Life  Is 
Too  Hard  ”  or  “ There  Is  Too  Much  to 

Give  Up” . 99 

IX  Those  Who  Say:  “I  Cannot  Be  a  Chris¬ 
tian  in  My  Business — I  Will  Lose  My 
Friends”  .......  104 

X  Those  Who  Are  Afraid  of  Ridicule  and 

Persecution . .109 


PART  THREE:  DIFFICULTIES  [Concluded] 

I  “I  Have  Not  Enough  Feeling”  .  .  .117 

II  “Inconsistent  Christians”  ....  121 

III  “It  Is  Too  Late — I  Have  Sinned  Away  the 

Day  of  Grace 33  ......  125 

IV  The  Unpardonable  Sin  .  .  .  .  .130 

V  “God  Is  Unjust  and  Cruel33  .  .  .  .135 

VI  “Why  Should  Christ  Die  for  Me?33  .  .  140 

VII  “I  Do  Not  Understand  the  Bible33  .  .  145 

VIII  “I  Cannot  Believe33  .....  149 

IX  Doubt  and  Doubters  .  .  .  .  .154 

X  The  Need  of  Confession  and  Church  Mem¬ 
bership  . .159 


PART  FOUR:  SPECIAL  CLASSES  AND  SUGGES¬ 
TIONS 

I  Those  Who  Lack  Assurance  .  .  .  165 

II  The  Backslider  .  .  .  .  .  .170 

III  The  Backslider  [Concluded]  .  .  .174 


Contents 

xi 

CHAPTER 

PAGE 

IV 

Skeptics  and  Infidels 

♦  • 

180 

V 

Skeptics  [Concluded] 

•  • 

186 

VI 

Procrastinators  .... 

•  • 

191 

VII 

Special  Evangelistic  Opportunities 

•  • 

196 

VIII 

Special  Evangelistic  Opportunities 
eluded] . 

[Con- 

•  • 

201 

IX 

Hints  to  Workers  .... 

•  • 

206 

X 

The  Evangelist’s  Devotional  Life 

•  • 

211 

PART  FIVE:  FALSE  TEACHINGS 

I 

The  Roman  Catholic 

219 

II 

The  Roman  Catholic  [Concluded] 

224 

III 

The  Jews  . 

230 

IV 

The  Adventist  .... 

236 

V 

The  Unitarian  and  Universalist  . 

242 

VI 

So-Called  <( Christian  Scientist”  . 

248 

VII 

The  Spiritualist  .... 

253 

VIII 

The  Russellite  .... 

258 

IX 

The  Mormons  .... 

264 

X 

Pentecostalism — So-Called  “Holy  Rollers” 

271 

XI 

False  Prophets ;  the  Afflicted;  the  Obstinate 

280 

XII 

Suggestions  and  Conclusion  . 

•  • 

286 

Bibliography . 

•  • 

291 

/O 


PART  ONE:  EVANGELISM 


PART  ONE:  EVANGELISM 

Chapter  I 

Need  and  Importance 

I:  INTRODUCTION 

1.  Methods .  In  the  preparation  of  these  les¬ 
sons  there  has  been  no  idea  of  attempting  any¬ 
thing  new  or  startling  in  the  line  of  personal 
evangelism.  Indeed  it  is  doubtful  if  there  is  any¬ 
thing  new  to  be  offered. 

While  this  is  true,  still  there  is  the  ever  new 
approach  to  each  individual  soul  that  is  to  be  won, 
and  hence  the  need  of  study  and  frequent  review. 

There  is,  of  course,  danger  in  relying  too  much 
upon  “Methods”  or  “Courses  of  Study.”  In 
nothing  is  it  more  true  “that  we  learn  by  doing,” 
than  in  leading  lost  souls  to  accept  Jesus  Christ 
as  Savior  and  Lord. 

The  ground  and  methods  for  doing  personal 
evangelism,  which  after  all  is  the  sum  and  es¬ 
sence  of  all  Christian  work,  have  been  so  well 
set  forth  in  so  many  text  books  that  the  chief  value 
of  this  course  is  to  direct  the  student’s  study  and 
research  and  the  amount  of  work  he  is  to  do  each 

15 


16  Personal  Evangelism 

week.  We  earnestly  urge  that  every  student  se¬ 
cure  and  read  as  many  as  possible  of  the  books 
mentioned  in  the  Bibliography. 

2.  Who  can  do  this  work f  It  ought  to  go  with¬ 
out  saying  that  every  worker  must  be  a  saved 
person  and  one  who  knows  that  he  is  saved.  There 
is  also  a  needed  consecration  to  this  work  and  a 
separation  from  the  world  and  worldly  practices 
that  is  not  monastic  separation  nor  a  “holier  than 
thou”  attitude  of  life;  rather  a  divine  passion 
that  impels  us,  in  whatever  place  or  position  in 
life  God  calls  us,  such  as  thrilled  and  impelled 
Finney,  Moody,  Whitefield,  John  Knox,  Spur¬ 
geon,  and  every  other  successful  worker  past  and 
present. 

II :  THE  HEED  AND  IMPORTANCE  OF  PERSONAL  WORK 

1.  Definition.  By  Personal  Evangelism  is 
meant  the  personal,  individual  effort  on  the  part 
of  a  saved  soul  to  lead  other  definite,  separate  and 
distinct  individuals  to  repent,  accept  and  confess 
Jesus  Christ  as  their  individual,  personal  Savior 
and  Lord;  they  in  turn  to  become  Ministering 
Servants. 

2.  The  Gospel.  A  careful  study  of  1  Cor. 
15 : 1-4  in  particular  will  clarify  our  comprehension 
as  to  what  is  meant  by  “the  gospel.” 

PauPs  “good  news”  consisted  of  the  fact  of 
God  incarnate  in  the  flesh,  one  who  died  upon  the 


Need  and  Importance  IT 

Cross  and  rose  again  from  out  of,  or  from  among, 
the  dead;  one  who  is  now  living  and  is  again  to 
appear  in  a  bodily  form,  visible  to  all. 

3.  It  is  not  enough  that  we  are  evangelical. 
(Look  up  the  word  evangelical  and  tell  what  it 
fully  means.) 

Personal  evangelism  is  not  “  denomination- 
alizing.”  Our  first  and  chief  concern  is  to  lead 
the  soul  to  accept  and  confess  Christ  as  his  Savior 
and  Lord.  Church  membership  and  denomina¬ 
tional  interests,  as  such,  are  of  secondary  im¬ 
portance. 

Church  membership,  involving  confession,  bap¬ 
tism  and  the  observance  of  the  Lord’s  Supper  is 
the  natural,  essential  and  important  sequence  of 
a  fife  of  full  and  complete  obedience.  It  follows 
repentance  and  faith  as  day  follows  night. 

Church  membership  is  important  and  essential 
to  a  life  of  full  obedience  but  not  to  salvation. 
We  need  to  be  careful  lest  our  insistence  upon  * 
baptism  and  church  membership  be  understood  as 
implying  that  these  things  are  a  requirement  for  ' 
salvation. 

4.  It  is  not  safe  to  dep&nd  upon  revivals.  A 
normal  evangelistic  spirit  in  a  given  church  does 
not  wait  for  “the  meeting,”  but  is  aggressive  at 
all  times.  The  life  insurance  agent  does  not  con¬ 
fine  his  efforts  to  a  possible  four  hours  each  week; 
nor  should  the  Christian  rely  upon  the  Church, 
Sunday  school  and  Young  People’s  hours  of  as- 


18  Personal  Evangelism 

sembly.  Calvary  Baptist  Church  of  Washington, 
D.  C.,  we  are  informed,  never  held  a  revival  series 
of  meetings  during  the  more  than  forty  years  of 
Dr.  Green’s  pastorate,  yet  thousands  point  to  it 
as  their  spiritual  birthplace. 

It  is  an  interesting  study  to  see  how  and  under 
what  circumstances  the  Master  called  his  follow¬ 
ers;  few,  if  any,  came  in  the  set  or  formal  gath¬ 
erings  of  his  auditors. 

5.  Religion  is  a  personal  matter.  All  men 
everywhere  are  said  to  be  religious  (Acts  17 : 22 
R.  V.),  but  only  a  small  part  of  so-called  Christen¬ 
dom  makes  a  profession  of  being  Christian.  Chris¬ 
tianity  is  first  of  all,  a  personal  equation,  though  in 
its  application  it  is  ethical  and  federal,  i.e .,  we  do 
right  unto  others,  to  all  men  everywhere,  as  we  are 
first  of  all  right  in  the  sight  of  God  and  because 
of  our  standing  in  Christ.  Christianity  is  dy¬ 
namic. 

All  civic  righteousness  must  be  founded  upon  in¬ 
dividual  righteousness  if  it  is  to  become  effective. 

The  “evangel”  is  the  good  news  of  a  possible 
redemption  from  the  condemnation  of  sin  and  the 
evangelist  is  the  herald  of  that  fact.  But  it  in¬ 
cludes  more  than  the  mere  forthtelling  of  these 
facts.  Personal  evangelism  deals  with  the  sepa¬ 
rate  individual  to  be  won. 

6.  Personal  evangelism  is  not  sermonizing . 
We  are  to  fish,  not  in  a  bath  tub  nor  in  shallow 
water,  but  by  going  where  the  fish  are  to  be  found, 


Need  and  Importance  19 

not  with  one  form  of  tackle  only,  nor  always  for 
the  same  character  of  fish.  It  is  a  work  that  can¬ 
not  be  done  by  proxy.  Illustration :  Read  Matt. 
4 : 18-22  and  Mark  1 : 16-20  and  tell  in  yonr  own 
language  how  Peter  “changed  about,’ ’  i.e.,  was 
converted.  Read  the  story  of  Mr.  Moody’s  con¬ 
version  as  recorded  by  his  son,  Mr.  W.  R.  Moody. 

7.  The  advantages  of  personal  evangelism. 

(a)  It  can  be  done  anywhere.  On  the  highway, 
in  the  home,  the  hospital,  shop,  field,  in  fact, 
wherever  two  souls  chance  to  meet  that  is  the 
place  God  has  designated  as  an  opportunity  for 
us  to  work  for  him. 

(b)  It  has  no  time  limit.  “Say  ye  not  four 
months  till  the  harvest,  behold,  now  is  the  day” 
(John  4:  35). 

(c)  It  is  definite.  A  sermon  is  general;  a  tract 
may  miss  the  case  entirely;  a  class  lesson  cannot 
impress  all  alike  nor  be  equally  adapted  to  every 
one  present.  David  could  not  escape  Nathan’s 
“Thou  art  the  man”  (2  Sam.  12:7). 

(d)  It  is  the  method  of  successful  salesmanship. 
Few  men  can  secure  the  “signature  on  the  line” 
when  working  with  more  than  one  man  at  a  time. 
There  is  too  much  to  divert  attention  unless  work¬ 
ing  singly. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  motives  have  inspired  or  moved  yon  to  take  up 
these  studies? 


20  Personal  Evangelism 

2.  Read  1  Cor.  15 : 1-4  and  from  that  passage  give,  in  your 
own  words,  what  you  think  Paul  meant  by  “the  gospel.” 

3.  Why  is  a  man  not  saved  by  joining  a  church? 

4.  How  many  of  the  disciples,  if  any,  were  reached  in  what 
might  be  termed  a  regular  church  service  ? 

5.  Give  additional  reasons  why  Personal  Evangelism  is  so 
broadly  effective  and  valuable. 

6.  Name  from  your  own  experience  at  least  six  different  sets 
of  circumstances  under  which  men  accepted  and  confessed 
Christ  as  their  personal  Savior  and  Lord. 

7.  Answer  these  words  of  Dr.  John  Timothy  Stone:  “Have 
you  talked  or  attempted  to  talk  personally  with  some  other 
man,  woman,  or  child  as  to  his  personal  relationship  to 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  within  the  last  twenty-four  hours, 
or  even  the  last  week  for  that  matter?” 


Chapter  II 

God’s  Plan  for  Man 

Take  a  good  concordance  and  trace  in  the  Bible 
the  word  “gospel.”  The  “good  news”  we  pro¬ 
claim  is  not  primarily  a  new  social  environment 
nor  a  cure  for  physical  ills  and  evil  habits.  It  is 
rather  the  presentation  of  a  “new  life”  in  Christ 
Jesus  (2  Cor.  5:17,  Eph.  2:1-5,  John  5:24). 
The  change  of  environment  and  alleviation  of 
human  ills  are  the  natural  and  logical  outgrowth 
of  changed  individual  lives. 

I:  MAN  HAS  GREAT  VALUE  IN  THE  SIGHT  OF  GOD 

No  one  gives  his  highest  and  best  for  that  which 
is  useless  and  worthless.  God  gave  his  best  gift 
for  our  salvation  (John  3:16).  God’s  mind  is 
“full”  (mindful)  of  man  (Ps.  8:4). 

In  the  parable  recorded  in  Luke  fifteen  are  pre¬ 
sented  three  things  each  of  which  had  great  value, 
yet  was  lost : 

1.  A  lost  sheep .  Sheep  are  for  food  and  to 
produce  wool ;  they  produce  great  material  value. 
“All  we,  like  sheep,  have  gone  astray.” 

2.  A  lost  coin.  A  coin  represents  value  and 


22  Personal  Evangelism 

bears  the  stamp  of  the  government.  In  this  place 
it  was  also  a  sign  in  that  it  meant  as  much  for  that 
woman  to  lose  it  as  for  a  modern  one  to  lose  her 
wedding  ring. 

3.  A  lost  son .  A  father’s  heart  alone  can  ap¬ 
preciate  such  a  loss.  In  this  chapter  the  Shepherd 
(The  Son),  the  Woman  (The  Spirit)  and  the 
Father  (God)  are  all  anxiously  seeking  that  which 
“was  lost”  and  “is  found.” 


ii :  god’s  plan  for  man 

Great  misunderstanding  and  much  useless  argu¬ 
ing  have  arisen  over  <  ‘  predestination.  ’  ’  That  God 
“foreknows”  all  are  willing  to  admit.  It  is  not 
our  task  to  reconcile  God’s  foreknowledge  with 
man’s  free  will.  Both  are  undoubtedly  true.  We 
do  not  have  to  understand  the  laws  of  sound  in 
order  to  hear,  nor  those  of  light  that  we  may  see. 

1.  God’s  plan  is  that  men  should  be  conformed 
(Rom.  8:29)  (transformed)  “into  the  image  of 
his  Son” — that  we  “become  like  him”  (1  John 
3:2)  and  the  only  requirement  is  that  we  “be¬ 
lieve”  on  him  whom  he  hath  sent.  Sincerity  and 
a  love  for  humanity  cannot  take  the  place  of  the 
new  birth  (John  3:7),  and  repentance  is  not  to  be 
separated  from  believing. 

“In  the  gospels  there  are  one  hundred  and  fif¬ 
teen  passages  at  least  where  ‘ believe’  is  used  alone 
and  apart  from  every  other  condition  as  the  way 


23 


God's  Plan  for  Man 

of  salvation.  In  addition  there  are  upward  of 
thirty-five  passages  where  the  synonym  ‘  faith ’  is 
used  and  but  six  wherein  repentance  appears  alone 
or  in  combination  with  other  issues.” — Chafer. 

2.  Christ  said :  “ Except  ye  repent  (change  your 
mind),  ye  shall  all  likewise  perish”  (Luke  13:3). 
Repentance  is  man’s  work  of  turning  from  sin  to 
Christ,  his  first  and  the  important  step. 

“  Three  things  are  involved  in  the  duty  to  re¬ 
pent:  (a)  A  new  thought,  a  new  view,  of  sin;  (b) 
a  new  feeling  toward  sin,  a  recognition  of  its 
heinousness  in  God’s  sight;  (c)  a  new  attitude 
toward  sin,  a  turning  from  it.” — Dr.  P.  E.  Bur¬ 
roughs. 

Remorse  leads  to  apathy,  mortification  and 
despair,  but  repentance  leads  hack  to  life. 

While  it  is  true  that  we  cannot  he  saved  unless 
we  repent,  still  it  is  likewise  true  that  it  is  not 
the  repentance  that  saves. 

3.  Belief  is  primary,  confession  of  sin  is  the 
secondary  condition  of  salvation  (1  John  1:9, 
Eph.  2:8).  We  are  to  “hear  and  believe”  (Acts 
15:7).  We  also  read  “believe  and  be  baptized” 
(Acts  8: 13,  Mark  16: 16  R.  V.).  Note  that  when 
this  statement  is  repeated  negatively  there  is  no 
reference  to  baptism.  “He  that  believeth  and  is 
baptized  shall  be  saved;  and  he  that  believeth  not 
(disbelieveth)  shall  be  condemned.”  Man  is  con¬ 
demned  for  lack  of  believing  and  not  for  lack  of 
baptism. 


24  Personal  Evangelism 

hi:  god’s  plan  is  plainly  set  before  men 

1.  God  has  caused  the  light  (John  3:19)  to 
shine  in  the  world.  Every  law  of  God  is  the  voice 
of  love  speaking  to  men  (Gal.  3 :  24) .  But  the  light 
is  of  no  avail  without  eyes  to  see  and  when  men 
darken  their  hearts  (Romans  1:21)  there  i%  pro¬ 
duced  the  condition  Christ  set  forth  in  Matthew 
6 : 23,  etc.  But  the  light  continues  to  shine,  the 
lack  is  in  men.  God’s  greatest  gift  is  Christ  (John 
3:16).  He  is  God’s  personal  evangelism  for  us; 
our  Savior  from  sin;  our  Physician  if  ill;  our 
Master  to  teach  us  the  trade  of  living ;  our  Father 
for  protection  and  care.  Compare  Romans  6 :  23 
with  2  Cor.  9: 15.  In  Christ  we  have  “all  things 
richly  to  enjoy.”  See  also  Col.  2 :  9  and  3 : 11. 

2.  But  a  local  Christ  or  a  historic  one  will  not 
meet  the  needs  of  men,  hence  the  manifestation 
on  Pentecost  of  the  abiding  One.  See  Acts  2 :  33, 
John  16 : 13, 14,  Gal.  2  :  20. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  the  key- word  of  Luke,  chapter  fifteen? 

2.  Look  up  Mark  8 :  2  and  Luke  10 :  33  and  tell  in  your  own 
words  what  is  meant  by  the  expression  “compassion”  ? 

3.  What  appreciation  of  the  value  of  human  souls  do  Chris¬ 
tians  ordinarily  show? 

4.  What  reasons  can  you  suggest  for  the  fact  that  Christians 
seem  to  have  so  little  compassion  for  the  lost  ? 

5.  Did  God  act  from  a  sense  of  duty  when  he  conceived  and 
set  forth  the  plan  of  salvation? 


25 


God's  Plan  for  Man 

6.  How  else,  other  than  in  a  man  (the  Incarnation),  could  God 
cause  his  love  to  become  manifest — “made  to  be  seen”f 

7.  What  is  God’s  plan  for  lost  men?  Quote  Romans  8:29. 

8.  Is  it  through  repentance  or  belief  that  men  are  actually- 
saved?  What  is  man’s  first  and  important,  essential  step? 

9.  Wherein  can  you  show  that  baptism  is  not  essential  to 
salvation  ? 

10.  What  three  things  are  involved  in  repentance? 


Chapter  III 

Man’s  'Responsibility  for  Man 

That  God  has  shut  himself  up  to  the  one  method 
of  reaching  men  through  men  needs  constant  re¬ 
affirmation.  Light  is  valuable  only  as  men  see ;  so 
then,  those  who  have  4 4  the  light  of  life”  must  give 
it  to  those  who  have  it  not  by  living  among  their 
fellows.  Christ  said, 4  4 1  am  the  light  of  the  world ’  ’ 
(John  9:5),  and  then  said  to  his  followers,  4 4 ye 
are  the  light  of  the  world”  (Matt.  5:14-16).  This 
explains  Paul’s  statement  about  4 4 living  epistles” 
which  are  known  and  read  of  men  (2  Cor.  3:2). 
We  must  know  in  order  to  believe,  but  we  believe 
in  order  to  know.  Every  man  who  accepts  Christ 
becomes  a  trustee  and  a  witness. 

I:  IT  IS  A  CRIME  TO  BE  UNCONCERNED 

Various  figures  are  given  for  church  growth. 
One  careful  estimator  gives  seven  per  cent  as  the 
annual  growth.  Think  of  it !  One  hundred  church 
members  working  twelve  months  to  reach  and  save 
seven!  William  E.  Reynolds,  the  great  Sunday- 
school  worker,  was  once  asked  by  his  next-door 
neighbor,  4 4 How  long  have  you  known  me!”  He 
replied,  4 4 About  fifteen  years.”  4 4 And  you  claim 
to  be  a  Christian  and  to  care  if  I  am  saved  1  Well, 


27 


Man's  Responsibility  for  Man 

I  do  not  believe  it,  for  we  have  talked  of  every 
topic  under  the  snn  but  that  of  my  salvation.” 
That  conversation  was  the  beginning  of  a  change 
in  his  life  which  led  Mr.  Reynolds  to  great  use¬ 
fulness  in  Christian  work. 


II :  TO  WIN  MEN  TO  CHRIST  IS  OUR  SUPREME  DUTY 
AND  HIGHEST  PRIVILEGE 

1.  A  thing  is  a  success  if  it  accomplishes  that 
for  which  it  was  constructed.  Men  are  created  to 
be  more  than  athletes,  social  successes,  philoso¬ 
phers,  millionaires  or  poets.  Man  was  created  in 
the  image«of  God  and  to  have  fellowship  with  him. 
Unless  he  possesses  that  eternal  life  for  which  his 
faculties  were  created  he  is  a  failure  as  an  im¬ 
mortal  soul. 

2.  We  must  realize  our  own  salvation  through 
Christ  and  that  nothing  can  be  compared  with  the 
life  that  is  seeking  to  win  others  to  become  his 
disciples.  This  is  the  fulness  of  joy.  The  true 
Christian  does  not  do  his  work  from  a  sense  of 
duty.  ‘  ‘  The  love  of  Christ  constraineth  us  ’ 9 
(2  Cor.  5:14-21). 


Ill:  WE  HAVE  OMNIPOTENT  POWER  TO  AID  US 

(Phil.  4:13) 

An  English  Baptist  evangelist,  Henry  Varley, 
said  to  Mr.  Moody,  “The  world  has  yet  to  see 


28 


Personal  Evangelism 

what  God  can  do  through  the  man  who  is  fully 
given  up  to  him ;  that  he  can  trust  with  his  power.  99 
That  was  at  the  beginning  of  Mr.  Moody’s  great 
power. 

1.  Obey  a  law  and  it  becomes  your  servant . 
Electricity  is  a  boon  and  a  blessing  so  long  as 
you  obey  the  laws  that  govern  it.  God  is  on  the 
side  of  the  man  who  obeys  him  (Romans  12:1-6; 
see  also  Job  17:9).  This  explains  Moses  and 
Paul,  Luther  and  Moody.  What  a  changed  world 
we  would  soon  see  if  every  professed  Christian 
would  make  it  his  ambition  and  earnest  endeavor 
so  to  serve  the  laws  of  God  that  God  would  be¬ 
stow  upon  him  the  fulness  of  his  power.  God  is 
ready,  and  only  awaits  our  meeting  his  conditions 
(Acts  1 : 4-8). 

A  redeemed,  serving,  witnessing  life  is  the 
greatest  argument  for  Christ  that  can  be  found  in 
any  given  community. 

2.  The  serious  and  sad  fact  is  that  so  few  Chris¬ 
tians  accept  their  responsibility ;  they  do  not  deny 
but  they  quietly  ignore.  By  their  acts  they  seek 
to  pass  the  responsibility  over  to  the  pastor  or 
to  the  evangelist. 

It  is  a  pertinent  question  for  us  to  ask  ourselves 
if  we  are  honest  when  we  say  that  we  desire  the 
power  of  God  and  say  that  we  are  ready  for  any 
sort  of  service  that  would  glorify  him  if  that 
power  were  bestowed  upon  us. 

Such  an  inquiry  demands  a  painstaking  exami- 


29 


Man's  Responsibility  for  Man 

nation  of  our  standing  before  God,,  our  habits  of 
life  and  customs  of  speech  to  see  if  the  example 
of  our  lives  is  influencing  others  for  God. 

“What  the  cause  of  Christ  needs  is  not  so  much 
more  of  us,  as  a  better  brand  of  us.” — Henry 
Drummond. 


QUESTIONS 

1.  On  what  ground  can  we  assert  a  necessity  which  rests  upon 
one  class  of  Christians,  such  as  pastors  and  teachers,  and 
does  not  rest  equally  upon  all  other  believers'? 

2.  Have  you  a  written  list  of  unsaved  friends,  loved  ones, 
companions,  scholars  or  acquaintances  for  whom  you  are 
praying  and  whose  salvation  you  are  earnestly  endeavoring 
to  accomplish? 

3.  What  is  the  greatest  argument  for  Christianity,  outside  of 
the  Bible,  that  you  can  find  in  your  community? 

4.  Wherein  and  why  does  it  seem  that  our  expectations  differ 
as  to  converts  in  the  home  land  and  on  the  foreign  field? 

5.  Are  you  really  ready  to  change  anything  God  may  reveal 
as  a  hindrance  in  your  life  to  being  a  successful  personal 
evangelist  ? 

6.  Do  we  know  in  order  to  believe  or  believe  in  order  to 
know  ?  Give  reason  for  your  answer  and  illustrate. 

7.  Why  is  it  a  crime  for  church  members  to  be  unconcerned 
about  the  salvation  of  souls? 

8.  What  is  meant  by,  “Obey  a  law  and  it  becomes  your  serv¬ 
ant”?  Quote  Phil.  4:13. 

9.  What  equipment  do  we  have  as  recorded  in  Acts  1:8? 


Chapter  IV 

Where  and  When  to  Do  Personal  Evangelism 

I:  SPIRITUAL  LEADERSHIP 

1.  Unless  the  worker  has  a  constraining  convic¬ 
tion  as  to  the  necessity  for  doing  the  work  of  per¬ 
sonal  evangelism,  a  positive  personal  experience 
of  salvation  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  a  clear  and  defi¬ 
nite  assurance  of  God’s  readiness  to  save  any  one 
who  believes,  no  matter  what  his  past  life  might 
have  been  or  his  present  condition  and  circum¬ 
stances,  there  is  little  need  of  going  further  in 
these  studies. 

2.  While  the  worker  should  live  at  all  times  in 
the  atmosphere  of  prayerful  expectancy,  yet  it  will 
he  profitable  if  frequently  he  observes  a  time  of 
quiet  prayer  and  meditation.  Definitely  ask  the 
Spirit  to  guide  at  the  beginning  of  each  day,  and 
then  obey  his  leading . 

Walking  the  streets  of  Cleveland,  the  Spirit 
called  to  a  worker’s  mind  a  young  man  who  had 
missed  two  or  three  sessions  of  the  men’s  Bible 
class.  Turning  completely  around  and  walking 
several  blocks,  the  young  man  was  located  in  an 

office  high  up  in  a  modern  business  building. 

30 


Personal  Evangelism:  Where  and  When  31 

Asked  out  into  the  corridor,  in  a  quiet  nook  by 
the  stairs,  it  took  less  than  five  minutes  to  lead 
him  to  a  definite  and  clear  decision  for  and  confes¬ 
sion  of  Christ  as  Savior  and  Lord.  That  was  the 
Spirit’s  leading.  A  full  list  of  places  where  to  do 
this  work  will  he  as  long  and  as  varied  as  the 
experiences  of  life. 

II :  SOME  SUGGESTED  OPPORTUNITIES 

1.  In  regular  religious  services — not  alone  the 
revival,  but  the  ordinary  church  gatherings. 
Where  can  we  find  a  better  place  to  lead  men  to 
“become  sons  of  God”  than  in  the  Father’s  house? 
The  sad  part  is,  that  we  are  so  blind  and  often 
so  criminally  careless  of  this  pre-eminent  matter 
concerning  the  lives  of  men.  Are  men  and  women, 
hoys  and  girls  really  to  be  saved?  Pray  definitely 
that  you  may  be  used  by  the  Spirit  the  next  time 
you  enter  the  house  of  God.  As  a  rule,  do  your 
work  singly,  men  with  men  and  women  with 
women. 

2.  In  your  home.  Your  lips  will  be  effectually 
barred  unless  you  are  living  aright.  Education, 
social  standing  and  business  success  are  of  second¬ 
ary  importance  in  the  lives  of  men,  especially 
those  of  your  own  household. 

3.  To  and  fro  and  at  your  work.  A  not  widely- 
known  evangelist  spoke  kindly  words  and  placed 
a  loving  hand  upon  a  boy’s  shoulder  whom  he 


32  Personal  Evangelism 

chanced  to  meet  in  the  school  yard.  That  boyr 
to-day  a  prominent  Christian  worker,  testifies  that 
he  can  feel  that  hand,  see  the  look  of  those  eyes 
and  hear  the  tone  of  that  voice  after  nearly  forty 
years  have  elapsed.  (Acts  17 : 17  E.  V.) 

It  is,  of  course,  not  wise  to  force  ourselves  upon 
others.  “  There  are  five  marks  of  a  good  oppor¬ 
tunity:  when  one  is  alone,  unoccupied,  in  good 
humor,  communicative  and  in  a  serious  mood.” 
— Torrey. 

4.  In  prisons,  hospitals  and  public  institutions . 
Some  of  the  most  famous  Christian  workers  came 
out  of  prison  walls.  The  church  at  Philippi  (Acts 
16)  and  Jerry  McAuley  are  but  two  illustrations. 

Some  workers  hesitate  to  take  advantage  of  a 
man’s  circumstances,  fearing  lest  the  confession 
obtained  be  not  genuine  and  sincere.  But  let  us 
ask,  are  we  sure  that  God  may  not  bring  men  into 
such  conditions  that  they  may  then  listen  to  the 
claims  of  the  gospel! 

Public  servants,  such  as  street  car  workers,  po¬ 
licemen,  firemen  and  others  of  like  nature  are 
largely  shut  off  from  Sabbath  observances  and  the 
privileges  of  public  worship.  Are  their  souls  of 
any  less  value  because  of  this  fact! 

Ill:  OUR  HESITANCY 

It  is  comparatively  easy  to  excuse  the  person 
who,  in  an  honest  effort,  makes  a  mistake,  but  no 


Personal  Evangelism :  Where  and  When  33 

one  can  pardon  the  hesitant,  vacillating  man  who 
never  makes  anything,  not  even  a  mistake. 

Moses  hesitated  to  obey  the  call  of  God  (Ex. 
3:10-18),  but  afterward,  urged  by  divine  con¬ 
straint,  he  could  not  rid  himself  of  the  conviction 
that  through  him  God  would  deliver  Israel. 

David  hesitated  to  go  forward  to  fight  in  Saul’s 
armor  (1  Sam.  17 :  31-40),  and  it  proved  to  be  his 
salvation,  for  out  of  it  came  a  “holy  boldness.” 

Isaiah  (Isa.  6:1-8)  and  Jonah  (Jonah  1:1-3) 
both  thought  too  much  of  “conditions,”  and  each 
had  to  be  shown  his  folly. 

Peter  had  to  overcome  education,  training  and 
environment  and  to  learn  that  it  is  comparatively 
easy  for  men  to  break  with  old  prejudices  once 
they  really  long  for  Christ  (Acts  10). 

Discouragement  and  hesitation  kept  Israel  out 
of  the  Promised  Land  (Heb.  3 : 12-19),  and  yet  had 
God  not  delivered  them  from  plague,  the  sea  and 
enemies  about  them? 

QUESTIONS 

1.  Give  from  your  own,  or  from  the  experience  of  others 
known  to  you,  evidences  of  the  Holy  Spirit's  leading. 

2.  Make  a  list  of  as  many  different  sorts  of  places  as  you 
possibly  can  wherein  men  have  accepted  Christ  as  their 
personal  Savior. 

3.  Are  the  places  suggested  in  this  lesson  for  doing  the  work 
of  personal  evangelism  unusual  or  unreal? 

4.  What  can  you  say  as  to  the  natural  hesitancy  of  pro¬ 
fessed  Christians  in  doing  this  work? 


34  Personal  Evangelism 

5.  What  are  the  marks  of  a  good  opportunity  for  doing  the 
work  of  personal  evangelism? 

6.  What  did  Jonah  and  Peter  have  to  overcome  before  they 
obeyed  the  leadership  of  God  in  this  matter? 

7.  What  shall  we  do  with  discouragement  that  may  come  into 
our  experience  when  we  undertake  this  work? 


Chapter  V 

Using  the  Bible  with  Men 

I:  THE  PRE-EMINENCE  OF  THE  BIBLE 

There  is  no  hook,  other  than  the  Bible,  so 
effectually  used  in  doing  personal  evangelism. 
God  sets  forth  no  promise  for  the  word  of  man 
like  unto  that  of  his  own  Word  (Isa.  55: 11). 

Nevertheless,  there  are  times  when  for  a  worker 
to  display  his  Bible  would  he  like  showing  our 
traps  to  the  game  we  are  seeking.  “Some  men 
take  by  guile,  ’  ’  literally  we  are  to  snare  them. 

When  Paul  preached  in  Athens  (Acts  17 :  22-31) 
he  began  by  quoting  a  Greek  poet,  and  only  intro¬ 
duced  the  Scriptures  and  the  gospel  toward  the 
end  of  his  address.  Many  men  are  prejudiced 
against  the  Bible,  or  else  object  to  its  ostentatious 
display  or  use,  since  it  “smacks  of  hypocrisy”  (1 
Cor.  2: 14).  This  demands  that  we  use  great  tact 
and  judgment.  Yet,  to  read  a  given  passage  is 
always  more  effective  than  to  quote  the  same. 
Commit  it  to  memory  so  it  can  he  quoted  if  not 
read. 


ii  :  MIRACLES 

To  some  men  the  question  of  miracles  is  a  real 

hindrance,  and  we  shall  treat  the  question  more 

35 


36  Personal  Evangelism 

fully  later.  The  wise  worker  will  tactfully  avoid 
any  argument  if  possible.  If  miracles  appear  to 
be  a  genuine  difficulty,  call  attention  to  the  fact 
that  if  God  is  omnipotent,  he  certainly  is  able  to 
change,  hasten  or  modify  any  or  all  of  his  own 
laws. 

The  purpose  of  the  miracles  of  Christ  was  to 
authenticate  him  as  the  Messenger  of  Jehovah, 
and  to  show  that  God  is  greater  than  any  or  all 
the  gods  of  men  (Ex.  3 : 19-20 ;  John  19 : 10, 11  and 
20:30,31). 

As  man  learns  to  know  and  use  the  laws  of  God 
he  is  increasingly  doing  the  miraculous — witness 
the  modern  radio  as  one  illustration  out  of  many. 

The  achievements  of  modern  science  would  have 
been  quite  as  wonderful  a  thousand  years  ago  as 
any  of  the  miracles  (save  that  of  the  resurrection) 
that  are  recorded  in  the  New  Testament. 

Ill:  ITS  SUFFICIENCY 

1.  The  personal  evangelist  is  not  called  upon 
so  much  to  defend  the  Bible  as  to  use  the  same  in 
every  relation  of  life.  In  doing  personal  evan¬ 
gelism  the  Scriptures  (Old  and  New  alike)  are 
said  to  be  the  “ Sword  of  the  Spirit”  (Eph.  6:17; 
1  Tim.  4: 1,  and  Rev.  22:19). 

The  worker  will  be  more  readily  listened  to  if 
he  frankly  acknowledges  his  ignorance  and  lack 
of  comprehension  of  some  of  the  things  recorded 


37 


Using  the  Bible  with  M en 

therein.  Even  Peter  said  as  much  of  some  of  the 
writings  of  Paul  (2  Peter  3:16).  This  does  not 
affect  your  faith  in,  or  acceptance  of  every  word 
as  “thus  saith  the  Lord.” 

2.  The  Bible  alone  contains  the  plan  of  redemp¬ 
tion — the  message  of  the  atoning  love  of  Jesus. 
It  holds  before  us  the  rewards  of  righteousness 
and  the  penalty  for  sin.  It  has  consecrated  the 
institution  of  marriage,  and  exalted  labor  to  a 
place  of  honor  among  men.  Witness  the  spurning 
of  the  Book  by  the  French  Revolution  and  in  mod¬ 
ern  Bolshevistic  Russia. 

“AVhen  the  Bible  has  its  place,  righteousness  is 
exalted  as  the  mark  of  true  character,  and  the  holy 
measure  of  real  success  in  human  life,  while  un¬ 
selfish  service  of  Christ-like  love  is  the  sign  of 
fellowship  with  men.  The  light  of  a  blessed  im¬ 
mortality  shines  from  its  pages  upon  the  way 
everlasting.  It  proves  sufficient  for  the  loftiest 
ambition  of  the  noblest  men  of  the  ages.  It  is  the 
bread  of  life  for  every  man  who  hungers  after 
righteousness.  Let  every  inquirer  ponder  these 
plain,  priceless  facts.” — Dr.  Howard  Agnew  John¬ 
ston. 

3.  The  Bible  is  not  a  text  booh  upon  history  or 
psychology ,  or  any  of  the  sciences ,  hut  wherever  it 
touches  these  subjects  it  speaks  absolute  truth. 
The  Bible  is  a  text  book  ox  the  spiritual  life — • 
man’s  condition  in  the  sight  of  a  holy  God.  It  is 
the  only  and  absolute  authority  on  every  question 


38  Personal  Evangelism 

that  lias  to  do  with  the  spirits  of  men,  past,  pres¬ 
ent  and  prospective. 

4.  Regarding  the  fundamental  questions  of 
man’s  right  relations  to  God  and  to  his  fellow- 
men,  the  authority  of  God  and  his  Son  Jesus 
Christ  and  the  amplification  and  application  as 
recorded  by  the  divinely  inspired  writers,  the 
Bible  is  supreme ,  infallible  and  eternal. 

iv :  OUR  TASK 

Let  us  hear  the  conclusion.  In  dealing  with 
human  souls  use  tact  and  judgment,  patience  and 
perseverance.  Do  not  scare  away  your  inquirer, 
but  before  you  are  finished,  clinch  all  you  have  to 
say  by  the  “thus  saith  the  Lord.”  Sometimes  all 
you  will  be  able  to  do  will  be  to  quote  a  promise 
or  a  warning,  and  leave  the  Spirit  to  carry  home 
conviction  by  the  use  of  the  Word. 

In  the  parable  of  the  Seed  and  the  Sower  and 
the  Soil  (Mark  4),  some  fell  “by”  the  wayside; 
some  fell  “on”  the  stony  ground;  some  fell 
“among”  the  thorns;  and  some  fell  “into”  the 
good  ground.  Jesus  tells  us  (John  6:63)  that 
his  words  have  in  them  the  life-giving  principle, 
— they  will  produce  eternal  life.  Our  task,  then,  is 
to  lodge  his  words  “into”  the  good  soil  of 
human  hearts,  that  they  may  spring  up  and 
“bring  forth  eternal  life.” 


Using  the  Bible  with  Men 


39 


QUESTIONS 

1.  According  to  modern  pedagogical  science,  why  was  a 
miracle  one  of  the  best  ways  of  teaching? 

2.  What  does  history  reveal  as  to  the  effect  of  the  Bible  upon 
the  nations  of  the  earth? 

3.  Why  did  Paul  not  begin  his  sermon  at  Athens  by  quoting 
the  Old  Testament? 

4.  What  should  be  the  personal  evangelist’s  attitude  toward 
the  Bible? 

5.  In  what  respect  is  the  Bible  unique? 

6.  Upon  what  is  the  Bible  infallible?  Upon  what  is  the 
Bible  not  a  text  book? 

7.  Does  the  saying  that  the  Bible  is  not  a  text  book  upon 
history  or  science  imply  any  inaccuracy?  What  is  im¬ 
plied? 

8.  Compare  Mark,  chapter  four,  with  John  6:63  and  tell 
what  peculiar  and  particular  fact  is  emphasized. 


Chapter  VI 

The  Individual  To  Be  Won 

I:  OUR  SOURCE  OF  WISDOM 

1.  Our  fathers  did  not  talk  much  about  psy¬ 
chology,  but  they  did  set  great  value  upon  the 
ability  some  men  had  of  being  “good  mixers,’ 
upon  what  they  termed  having  “good  sense,  tact 
and  judgment.”  A  familiarity  with  elementary 
psychology  will  be  of  inestimable  value  to  any 
Christian  worker. 

2.  The  Christian  worker  must  be  the  wisest  of 
men,  for,  in  addition  to  his  native  God-given  com¬ 
mon  sense,  he  may  have,  for  the  asking,  the 
“unction,”  literally  the  guidance  and  wisdom  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  (James  1:5;  1  John  2:20,  hnd 
Acts  1:8). 


II :  OUR  GREAT  EXAMPLES 

How  Christ  dealt  with  different  individuals, 
also  how  the  disciples  followed  his  example  in 
this  regard  can  be  best  understood  by  a  careful 
study  of  the  following: 

Andrew  and  Peter;  Nicodemus;  John  3: 
John  1:35-42.  1-17. 


40 


The  Individual  To  Be  W on 


The  Samaritan  Woman ; 

John  4 : 1-42. 

Peter;  Matt.  4:18- 

22. 

Zacchaeus ;  Luke  19 : 
1-10. 

Pan! ;  Acts  9 : 1-22. 


41 

Philip  and  the  Ethio¬ 
pian  ;  Acts  6 : 1-6. 
Peter  and  Cornelius ; 

Acts  Chap.  10. 

Lydia  and  the  Jailer; 

Acts  Chap.  16. 
Onesimus;  Philemon. 


Ill:  TEMPERAMENT  AND  CIRCUMSTANCES 

1.  A  man’s  temperament,  the  differing  condi¬ 
tions  and  circumstances  under  which  we  meet  him, 
our  own  attitude  of  self-sufficiency,  our  own  even 
temper,  patience,  attractiveness,  lack  of  irritation 
— these  and  many  other  similar  elements  need  con¬ 
stant  thought  if  we  are  to  succeed  in  any  large 
measure,  or  for  any  long  continued  time  in  doing 
the  work  of  personal  evangelism. 

2.  A  man’s  companions  and  circumstances  in 
life  are  important  considerations.  A  man  who  is 
surrounded  by  all  the  blessings  of  life,  home,  loved 
ones,  social  advantages  and  friends  must  be  ap¬ 
proached  quite  differently  from  the  one  who  is 
lonely,  a  stranger,  fighting  fierce  temptations  and 
who  lacks  most  of  the  helpful  social  surroundings 
of  life. 

The  message  of  eternal  life  is  the  same  for  both, 
but  the  way  and  manner  of  approach  must  differ. 
Personal  evangelism  must  not  be  done  by  any  rule 
of  thumb. 


42  Personal  Evangelism 

3.  We  cannot  always  change  a  man’s  com¬ 
panions,  and  so  it  will  often  be  wise  to  discuss 
other  subjects  at  first,  and  by  kindness  and  a  care¬ 
ful  testimony  show  him  the  ‘ 4  better  way.  ’  ’  Do  not 
argue — little  is  ever  gained  that  way.  One  of  two 
things  must  soon  appear  by  following  this  method, 
either  the  man  will  seek  new  friends  among  those 
who  are  Christians,  or  else  he  will  become  more 
fully  wedded  to  his  idols.  Ever  remember  that 
we  are  not  to  convert  men — God  alone  can  save — 
we  are  to  witness.  Do  not  tell  a  man  that  he  is 
saved  except  as  he  obeys  what  the  Bible  directs 
him  to  do  and  even  then  let  the  Spirit  speak 
through  the  Word  rather  than  tell  him  he  is  saved 
( J ohn  5 :24 ;  Romans  10 :  9, 10 ) . 

IV :  STUDY  EACH  CASE 

Make  a  study  of  every  case  with  whom  you  are 
dealing.  Find  out  his  likes  and  dislikes,  his  weak¬ 
nesses  and  his  strong  points.  A  stubborn  will 
stands  in  the  way  of  most  men  (John  5:40). 
Some  men  are  fond  of  music ;  some  men  like  to  do 
things  for  others.  Plan  how  to  use  his  strong 
points  and  to  lead  him  through  his  social  instincts. 
At  all  times  appeal  to  his  heart.  Do  not  degrade 
the  Christian  life  by  making  it  so  easy  that  it  will 
lose  its  appeal  to  red-blooded  men.  Appeal  to  the 
heroic  and  the  sacrificial.  Always  strive  for  an 
open  confession. 


The  Individual  To  Be  Won 


43 


V:  SUMMARY 

1.  Seek  to  discover  the  things  a  man  really  does 
believe  and  build  thereon.  Every  man  has  faith 
of  some  sort.  It  may  be  in  some  person — gener¬ 
ally  it  is — it  may  be  in  some  method  of  living  or 
the  teaching  of  some  book.  (See  John  9:35-38.) 
Avoid  as  long  as  possible  all  reference  to,  or  dis¬ 
cussion  of  a  man’s  doubts.  Some  one  has  wisely 
said,  “  Doubt  your  doubts  and  believe  your  be¬ 
liefs.”  A  creed  is  a  statement  of  what  a  man  be¬ 
lieves.  Get  your  man  to  tell  you  what  he  really 
does  believe  (John  11:25-27).  It  is  recorded  of 
Bismarck  that  he  once  said,  “Tell  me  what  you  be¬ 
lieve  :  I  have  doubts  enough  of  my  own.  ’  ’ 

2.  Every  person  has  something  of  which  he  is 
certain.  Character  is  a  supreme  matter  to  nearly 
every  man.  “Do  you  doubt  the  character  of 
Christ?”  “Was  Christ  an  incarnation  of  what  he 
believed  and  taught?”  If  a  man  will  affirmatively 
answer  these  questions  he  will,  if  honest  and  sin¬ 
cere,  begin  a  study  of  the  life  and  teachings  of 
Christ. 

3.  A  Princeton  graduate,  not  a  professing 
Christian,  went  to  China  to  teach  in  a  college. 
Almost  at  once  he  was  given  a  class  of  young  men 
to  lead  in  the  study  of  the  life  of  Christ.  Making 
a  clean  breast  he  said  to  the  class,  “I  know  about 
as  little  of  this  matter  as  you  do,  but  we  will  go  to 
it  with  open  minds  and  honest  hearts.”  To-day 


44  Personal  Evangelism 

he  is,  after  his  war  experience,  a  Christian  layman 
in  an  eastern  city,  an  outspoken  Christian  lawyer, 
and  a  warm  advocate  of  Christian  missions. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  was  the  essential  difference  in  the  way  Christ  dealt 
with  Nieodemus  and  the  woman  at  the  well? 

2.  Wherein  does  a  man’s  temperament  affect  the  work  of 
personal  evangelism  ? 

3.  Why  is  the  message  of  eternal  life  alike  for  all  men  no 
matter  what  may  be  their  companions  or  circumstances? 

4.  Why  is  argumentation  of  little  value  in  the  work  of  per¬ 
sonal  evangelism? 

5.  What  reason  can  you  give  why  the  worker  ought  not  to 
tell  a  man  that  he  is  saved  even  when  that  man  has  taken 
the  needed  steps  and  made  the  necessary  confession? 

6.  Quote :  John  5  :  24  and  Romans  10  :  9, 10. 

7.  Why  is  it  necessary  for  us  to  make  a  study,  if  possible,  of 
every  case  with  which  we  deal? 

8.  For  what  must  we  always  strive? 

9.  Why  is  the  appeal  to  the  heroic  such  a  strong  one? 

10.  Tell,  in  your  own  words,  what  were  the  difficulties  that 
Jesus  encountered  in  dealing  with  the  woman  at  the  well. 


Chapter  VII 


Our  Dependence  upon  God 

“Pray  as  though  everything  depends  upon  God: 
work  as  though  everything  depends  upon 
men.” 


I:  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT 

1.  A  consideration  of  the  Holy  Spirit  reveals 
(a)  The  work  of  the  Spirit  (John  16:7-11)  i.e.y 
to  reveal  Christ,  to  exalt  Christ,  and  in  so  doing 
to  convict  men  of  sin.  (b)  The  gifts  of  the  Spirit. 
In  doing  his  work  he  uses  human  instrumentalities, 
and  in  order  to  use  men  he  imparts  gifts  (lit.,  en¬ 
ablements)  u  severally  as  he  willetli”  (1  Cor.  12). 
(c)  The  fruits  of  the  Spirit  (Gal.  5  :  22-23).  These, 
as  contrasted  with  the  fruits  of  an  evil  life,  are  to 
be  the  evidence  to  the  world  that  we  are  Spirit  led 
and  Spirit  tilled. 

2.  Thus  we  can  see  our  absolute  dependence 
upon  the  Holy  Spirit.  He  is  to  teach  and  guide  us 
(John  15 :  26),  and  to  show  us  the  things  of  Christ 
(John  16:14).  He  will  quicken  us  (Eph.  2:1-5). 
He  is  the  agent  and  Christ  is  the  substance  of  our 
eternal  life  (John  3:5-7;  Bom.  5:10,  and  Titus 

45 


46  Personal  Evangelism 

3:5).  He  sheds  abroad  the  love  of  God  (Rom. 
5:5),  and  demonstrates  to  the  world  his  leader¬ 
ship  and  that  we  are  Christ’s  (Rom.  8 : 14). 


II :  OUR  DEPENDENCE 


1.  The  Spirit’s  power  is  absolutely  essential  to 
the  success  of  the  personal  evangelist  (Zech. 
4:6). 

This  is  not  some  hazy,  emotional  or  theoretical 
experience,  but  a  clear-cut  and  practical,  as  well 
as  blessed,  one.  This  experience  does  not  depend 
upon  the  eloquence  of  man,  nor  the  charm  of  a 
song,  nor  an  aggregation  of  numbers.  These 
things  may  help,  and  are  often  useful,  but  to  con¬ 
vict  men  of  sin,  to  win  them  to  a  regenerated  life, 
requires  the  power  of  God.  Great,  consecrated 
scholarship  is  of  inestimable  value  as  an  aid  in 
bringing  men  to  Christ  and  in  upbuilding  the 
Kingdom,  but  as  a  substitute  for  the  grace  and 
power  of  God  it  is  never  to  be  considered  for  one 
moment. 

2.  Just  as  God  was  “made  to  be  seen”  in  Jesus 
( J ohn  1:18;  1  John  3:5,  3:8),  so  there  took  place 
certain  physical  manifestations  when  the  present 
age  of  the  Spirit  was  inaugurated.  But  that 
drapery  or  framing,  so  to  speak,  has  largely 
passed  away  as  no  longer  needful  while  the  fact, 
he,  the  Spirit,  remains. 

He,  a  personality,  having  intelligence,  emotion 


\ 


Our  Dependence  upon  God  47 

and  will,  is  here  in  the  world  to-day  acting  as  the 
all-seeing  executor  of  the  God-head. 

He,  the  Spirit,  is  as  mysterious,  as  powerful,  as 
universal  and  as  mighty  as  “the  mighty,  rushing 
wind.  ’ ’ 

He,  the  Spirit,  does  illuminate  (intellectually 
and  spiritually),  energize  and  purify  like  unto 
“fire.” 

He,  the  Spirit,  does  enable  us  to  speak  in  tongues 
(understandable  and  intelligible  to  men),  in  a  lan¬ 
guage,  a  lingo  that  is  unknown,  misunderstood  and 
misinterpreted  by  the  world. 

He,  the  Spirit,  does  bring  that  Christian  be¬ 
liever  ’s  unity,  that  altruism  and  those  active  so¬ 
cial  relations  and  services  of  which  Pentecostal 
communism  is  a  type,  though  not  commanded. 


in:  THIS  MATTER  IS  NOT  A  QUESTION  OF  OPINION  OR 
CHOICE,  BUT  A  DIVINE  IMPERATIVE 

1.  This  experience  does  make  a  difference.  It 
spells  the  difference  between  continued  success  and 
ultimate  failure  and  barrenness  (Eph.  5: 18). 

2.  The  indwelling  of  the  Holy  Spirit  enables 
men  to  call  Jesus  the  Christ  (1  Cor.  12 :  3).  Dwell¬ 
ing  along  with  us  (the  Paraclete)  and  also  m  us 
we  have  limitless  power  and  resources.  Even  as 
one  can  dip  a  cup  into  the  ocean,  so  are  we  “filled 
unto  (or  into)  the  fullness”  (Rom.  8:11;  John 
14:16-17).  He  dwells  in,  jealously  yearns  over 


48  Personal  Evangelism 

us  and  assures  us  of  victory  (James  4 :  5-6).  Paul 
tells  us  (Eph.  5: 18-22)  that  we  are  to  6 4 walk  in,” 
be  “led  by”  and  to  produce  the  “fruits  of”  the 
Holy  Spirit. 

This  enduing  is  to  “sanctify”  or  set  us  apart 
for  bis  service  that  be  may  “witness”  through  us 
(1  Peter  3:15),  thereby  exalting  God  the  Father 
and  Christ  Jesus  his  Son. 

He  is  our  “Paraclete,”  helper  by  our  side;  our 
“Inbreather,”  breathing  into  us  the  breath  of  the 
new  life  in  Christ,  and  is  our  “Helper,”  aiding  us 
intellectually,  physically  and  in  every  relation  of 
life. 

3.  The  Word  of  God  is  the  Sword  of  the  Spirit 
(Eph.  6: 17),  hence  the  need  of  familiarity  there¬ 
with.  Reverently  be  it  said  that  God  cannot,  or 
will  not  hide  that  Word  in  our  hearts,  minds  and 
memories — that  is  our  work.  W e  are  hopeless  and 
helpless  in  our  spiritual  warfare  without  the 
Word.  Preaching,  teaching  and  testifying  depend 
upon  such  knowledge. 

4.  How  may  we  obtain  this  power!  We  are 
only  to  “ask”  (Luke  11 : 13 ;  Acts  4:31),  but  being 
commanded  (Eph.  5:18)  who  dares  to  ignore! 
The  promise  must  be  claimed  (John  16:7;  Acts 
1:8),  and  our  lives  offered  as  volunteers  (Ps. 
110 :  3),  and  Christ  enthroned  in  every  act,  thought 
and  word  (John  7 :  39).  Read  and  study  carefully 
Chapter  V  of  “With  Christ  After  the  Lost,”  by 
Hr.  Scarborough. 


Our  Dependence  upon  God  49 


QUESTIONS 


1.  Why  is  a  dependence  upon  the  Holy  Spirit  an  essential 
qualification  for  the  personal  evangelist? 

2.  To  what  may  the  physical  manifestations  of  the  day  of 
Pentecost  be  likened? 

3.  To  what  extent  does  God  use  other  agencies  such  as  the 
speech  of  man,  the  attractiveness  of  song  and  the  wisdom 
of  the  scholar? 

4.  Give  in  your  own  words,  quoting  Scripture  to  confirm 
your  statement,  what  the  indwelling  Holy  Spirit  enables 
men  to  do. 

5.  What  is  the  agency  which  the  Spirit  most  largely  uses? 
Quote :  Ephesians  6  : 17. 

6.  Have  you  looked  up  carefully  every  Scripture  reference 
given  in  this  lesson? 

7.  Have  you  accepted  your  salvation  as  complete,  and  are 
you  going  forward  in  the  assurance  of  the  unction  of  the 
Spirit?  Or,  are  you  still  waiting  for  some  peculiar  physi¬ 
cal  or  emotional  manifestation  of  the  Spirit  in  your  life, 
the  experience  of  others  or  that  suggested  by  some  one 


else? 


8.  Look  up  and  study  carefully,  and  at  one  sitting,  the  fol¬ 
lowing  passages  of  Scripture.  (If  this  has  been  done, 
answer  “yes”  or  “no.”) 


John  1 :  21 
Micah  3 :  8 
Zech.  4 :  6 
John  14 : 16 
Eph.  4 : 30 


Luke  24 : 49 
John  20 :  22 
Acts  1 :  8 
Acts  2 :  38 


Eph.  5 : 18 
Acts  6 : 3 


John  7 :  38-39 
Judges  6 :  34 


Acts  5 :  32 


1  Thess.  5 : 19 
and  Luke  11 : 13 


Chapter  VIII 


Those  Who  Desire  to  Know  the  Way 

of  Life 

This  is  naturally  the  easiest  class  with  which  we 
have  to  deal.  They  are  to  be  found  at  the  regular 
services  of  the  church,  in  Sunday  school  and 
wherever  religion  is  being  discussed  in  other  than 
a  controversial  manner. 

We  are  constantly  being  rebuked  by  the  unsaved 
who  express  a  wonder  that  we  should  be  so  silent 
in  not  setting  forth  the  simple  and  plain  plan  of 
salvation.  This  lesson  should  be  thoroughly 
mastered  and  every  Scripture  reference  mentioned 
committed  to  memory. 

It  is  Dr.  Torrey  who  has  so  pithily  said :  “  There 
are  two  things  a  man  needs  to  know ,  and  one  thing 
he  needs  to  do  in  order  to  be  saved.  First,  he 
needs  to  know  that  he  is  a  sinner  and  that  Christ 
is  the  all-sufficient  Savior;  and  second,  he  needs 
to  accept  this  all-sufficient  Savior  whom  God  has 
provided !” 

I:  SHOW  MEN  THAT  THEY  ARE  LOST 

As  we  shall  consider  this  matter  more  fully  in 
the  next  lesson,  the  present  reference  will  be  brief. 

50 


Those  Who  Desire  to  Know  Way  of  Life  51 

Let  us  once  more  emphasize  the  fact  that  it  is  the 
Holy  Spirit  alone,  and  usually  through  the  use 
of  the  Word,  who  is  able  to  convince  a  man  that 
he  is  lost. 

“Behold,  1  was  shapen  in  iniquity;  and  in  sin 
did  my  mother  conceive  me”  { Ps .  51:5). 

“For  there  is  not  a  just  man  {upon  the  earth, 
that  doeth  good  and  sinneth  not”  { Eccles .  7 :  20). 

“For  all  have  sinned  and  come  short  of  the 
glory  of  God”  {Rom.  3:23). 

Sin  is  not  crime,  that  for  which  the  law  sets 
forth  punishment  for  its  violation.  Sin  is  unbelief 
which  leads  to  the  violation  of  law. 

“When  he  is  come  {the  Spirit),  he  will  reprove 
{“convict”)  the  world  of  sin,  and  of  righteous¬ 
ness,  and  of  judgment:  Of  sin  because  they  believe 
not  on  me”  {John  16:8-9). 

Of  sin,  why!  Because  they  get  intoxicated,  com¬ 
mit  adultery,  are  thieves,  liars  or  murderers? 
No!  “Of  sin  because  they  believe  not  on  me” — 
they  do  not  accept  him  as  Savior  and  follow  him 
as  Lord  and  Master.  These  so-called  “ sins’ ’  are 
but  the  fruit  of  the  tree  of  unbelief,  the  tap-root 
of  which  is  the  denial  of  Jesus  Christ  as  Savior 
and  Lord. 


II :  SHOW  MEN  THAT  JESUS  CHKIST  CAN  SAVE 

1.  For  men  to  be  “lost”  or  “dead”  is  to  be  out 
of  vital,  life-giving  relations  with  God. 


52  Personal  Evangelism 

“All  ive  like  sheep  have  gone  astray ;  we  have 
turned  every  one  to  his  own  way:  and  the  Lord 
hath  laid  on  him  the  iniquity  of  us  all”  (Isa. 
53:6). 

“Christ  hath  redeemed  us  from  the  curse  of  the 
law,  being  made  a  curse  for  us;  for  it  is  written, 
Cursed  is  every  one  that  hangeth  on  a  tree”  (Gal. 
3:13). 

“For  he  hath  made  him  to  be  sin  for  us,  who 
kneiv  no  sin:  that  we  might  be  made  the  righteous¬ 
ness  of  God  in  him”  (2  Cor.  5  :  21). 

2.  This  Savior  is  able  to  save  to  the  uttermost 
all  who  come  to  him.  He  saves  us  from  the  sins 
that  are  past;  from  the  power  of  sin  with  which 
we  come  into  daily  contact;  and  will  ultimately 
save  us  from  even  the  presence  of  sin. 

“Wherefore  he  is  able  to  save  them  to  the  utter¬ 
most  that  come  unto  God  by  him,  seeing  he  ever 
liveth  to  make  intercession  for  them ”  (Heb. 
7:25). 

“Who  are  kept  by  the  power  of  God  through 
faith  unto  salvation  ready  to  be  revealed  at  the 
last  time”  (1  Peter  1:5). 

3.  It  will  be  well  for  us  to  pause  and  consider 
again  Paul’s  definition  of  the  4 ‘gospel”  (1  Cor. 
15:1-4),  how  Christ  died,  a  substitutionary  and 
sacrificial  death,  for  our  sins  and  that  he  was 
buried  and  rose  again  “according  to  the  Scrip¬ 
tures.”  A  Christ  upon  a  crucifix  is  but  half  the 
story,  and  would  leave  us  helpless  and  hopeless  of 


Those  Who  Desire  to  Know  Way  of  Life  53 

eternal  life,  to  say  nothing  of  power  to  overcome 
sin  in  this  present  life. 

Get  men  to  make  a  definite  decision  and  an  ac¬ 
ceptance  and  confession  of  Christ,  feeling  or 
no  feeling.  Peace  and  satisfaction  will  speedily 
follow. 


Ill :  JESUS  MUST  RULE  IN'  THE  LIFE 

1.  First  of  all,  this  demands  a  verbal  confes¬ 
sion.  By  verbal  confession  we  do  not  necessarily 
mean  a  recital  of  the  whole  catalogue  of  sins  and 
transgressions  we  have  committed.  It  does  mean 
to  deny  that  we,  ourselves,  possess  any  righteous¬ 
ness  or  merit  in  the  sight  of  God,  therefore  we  are 
sinners. 

“That  if  thou  shalt  confess  with  thy  mouth  the 
Lord  Jesus,  and  shalt  believe  in  thine  heart  that 
God  hath  raised  him  from  the  dead,  thou  shalt  be 
saved.  For  with  the  heart  man  believeth  unto 
righteousness ;  and  with  the  mouth  confession  is 
made  unto  salvation”  {Rom.  10:9-10). 

2.  Simply  to  be  saved  is  a  meagre,  impoverished 
and  selfish  position  for  any  one  to  take.  “He 
must  be  Lord  of  all  or  else  not  Lord  at  all.,, 

“Therefore  let  all  the  house  of  Israel  know 
assuredly  that  God  hath  made  that  same  Jesus, 
whom  ye  have  crucified,  both  Lord  and  Christ” 
{Acts  2 : 36). 

3.  We  must  make  Jesus  our  own  personal 


54  Personal  Evangelism 

Savior.  Not  in  the  broad  sense  that  he  deals 
with  humanity  in  general  but  with  each  separate 
individual. 

(t But  as  many  as  received  him ,  to  them  gave  he 
power  ( or  right,  because  of  proper,  competent 
authority)  to  become  the  sons  of  God ”  ( John 
1:12). 

See  also :  J ohn  3:16;  Acts  10 : 43,  and  Acts 
26 : 18. 


IV :  ASSURANCE 

This  too  we  shall  consider  more  fully  later  on 
in  these  studies.  It  is  sufficient  for  the  present, 
therefore,  for  the  student  to  commit  the  following : 

“He  that  believeth  on  the  Son  hath  everlasting 
life;  and  he  that  believeth  not  the  Son  shall  not 
see  life,  but  the  wrath  of  God  abideth  on  him ” 
( John  3 :  36). 

“Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  he  that  heareth 
my  word,  and  believeth  on  him  that  sent  me,  hath 
everlasting  life,  and  shall  not  come  into  condemna¬ 
tion;  but  is  passed  from  death  unto  life ”  ( John 
5:24). 

These  passages,  out  of  many  others  that  might 
be  mentioned,  are  sufficient  to  show  that  if  men 
believe,  a  definite  transaction  will  take  place.  Con¬ 
fession  and  obedience  are  necessary  and  logical 
corollaries — the  work  of  man — but  eternal  life  “is 
the  gift  of  God.” 


Those  Who  Desire  to  Know  Way  of  Life  55 

QUESTIONS 

1.  Give  Dr.  Torrey’s  suggestion  as  to  the  things  needed  in 
order  that  a  man  may  be  saved. 

2.  How  would  you  go  about,  from  the  Scriptures,  to  show  a 
man  his  standing  in  the  sight  of  God? 

3.  Quote  the  following  (learn  to  locate  Scripture  as  well  as 
quote  and  to  quote  accurately):  Psalms  51:5;  Romans 
3 :  23 ;  John  16 :  8  and  9. 

4.  What  is  the  root  of  all  sin?  What  is  meant  by  the  word, 
“believe”  ? 

5.  From  memory,  and  by  quoting  necessary  Scripture,  show 
how  Jesus  can  save  a  soul. 

6.  Upon  what  do  peace  and  satisfaction  in  spiritual  matters 
speedily  follow? 

7.  After  belief  and  confession  what  is  demanded  of  men? 

8.  Quote  the  following:  Romans  10:9,10;  Acts  2:36;  John 

1:12. 

9.  Under  the  question  of  assurance,  what  two  passages  of 
Scripture  can  you  quote?  Apply  the  same. 


Chapter.  IX 

Those  Who  Are  Indifferent 

The  vast  number  of  non-church-attendants  and 
those  who  are  otherwise  indifferent  to  the  claims 
of  religion  ought  to  convince  any  one  that  this  is 
by  far  the  largest  class  with  which  we  have  to  deal. 
Indifference  is  by  long  odds  the  hardest  difficulty 
we  have  to  overcome.  Having  by  some  means 
secured  at  least  a  degree  of  attention : 

I :  TRY  TO  SHOW  MEN  THEIR  STANDING  BEFORE  GOD 

The  most  important  thing  is  to  convince  such 
men  that  they  are  not  only  sinners  but  great  sin¬ 
ners  as  well  (Matt.  22 :  34-40). 

J esus  tells  us  we  are  to  love  God  with  the  whole 
heart,  emotions  and  affections;  with  all  of  our 
souls,  our  wills,  our  volitional  natures;  and  our 
minds,  our  intelligence  and  thinking,  i.e.,  we  are 
to  love  God  supremely.  i ‘This  is  the  first  and 
great  commandment.” 

It  is  logical  that  if  one  breaks  the  first  and 
great  commandment  one  becomes  the  chief  and 
guiltiest  sinner.  And  a  second  like  unto  it  is 
this,  “Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself.,, 


Those  Who  Are  Indifferent  57 

Surely,  judging  by  these  two,  “we  have  all 
sinned  and  come  short.’’ 

Another  passage  of  great  value  in  this  connec¬ 
tion  is  Romans  14 : 12.  Others  to  learn  and  use 
are  Amos  4 : 12  and  Romans  2 : 16. 

II:  ENDEAVOR  TO  BRING  BEFORE  MEN  THE 
CONSEQUENCES  OF  SIN 

Frequently  all  we  can  do  with  an  indifferent  man 
is  to  bring  to  him  a  Scriptural  passage  like  Amos 
4 : 12,  and  let  the  Holy  Spirit  use  it  as  he  sees  tit 
and  the  man  permits. 

If,  however,  the  person  will  converse  or  listen, 
endeavor,  by  the  use  of  the  Word,  to  bring  before 
him  the  consequences  of  his  sin,  using  such  pas¬ 
sages  as  Romans  6:23;  John  8:34,  and  Romans 
6:16.  “Wages”  is  that  which  one  receives  for 
labor  performed.  If  we  work  for  Satan  we  neces¬ 
sarily  receive  his  “wages”  and  must  finally  go  to 
that  place  that  is  “prepared”  for  him  and  his  fol¬ 
lowers  (Matt.  25:41).  God’s  gift  to  us  is  “eter¬ 
nal  life”  and  all  we  need  to  do  is  to  accept  the 
gift. 

The  vast  majority  of  men  we  meet  confess  to  a 
belief  in  Jesus  Christ,  but  it  is  only  an  intellectual, 
historical  or  ethical  belief  which  is  by  no  means 
a  saving  faith  in  Jesus  Christ  (John  3 : 18-19),  and 
men  need  to  be  reminded  that  it  is  this  same  loving 
Savior  who  alone  gives  them  any  authentic  sug- 


58  Personal  Evangelism 

gestion  even,  to  say  naught  of  revelation,  as  to 
the  future  state  of  the  unbelievers. 

Look  up  and  familiarize  yourself  with  the 
following :  Acts  2 :  36-37 ;  Hebrews  10 :  28-29 ; 
Hebrews  11 :  6 ;  John  8 :  24. 

in:  SHOW  MEN  WHAT  THEY  NEED  TO  DO  TO  BE  LOST 

We  have  learned  that  “all  have  sinned/ ’  that 
“none  doeth  righteous’ ’  and  that  “all  have  gone 
astray.”  Let  us  remember  that  it  is  the  indiffer¬ 
ent  that  we  are  dealing  with,  and  that  our  constant 
lookout  must  be  to  arouse  the  interest  and,  by 
making  an  appeal  to  the  will,  cause  men  to  act. 

All  one  needs  to  do  to  be  destroyed  in  Niagara  is 
to  drift  with  the  current  over  the  falls ;  no  effort  is 
required.  The  prisoner  will  remain  behind  the 
bars  if  he  fails  to  accept  the  pardon  offered  him, 
and  every  such  pardon  is  a  “gift.”  It  cannot  be 
earned,  or  else  it  would  not  be  a  pardon. 

All  one  does  to  be  lost  is  to  neglect — not  to  be¬ 
lieve — for  belief  involves  the  act  of  one’s  will. 

Study  carefully  Hebrews  2:3;  Acts  3 : 22-23, 
13 :  38-41,  and  John  3 :  36.  The  saddest  words  that 
ever  fell  from  the  lips  of  the  Savior  are  recorded 
in  J ohn  5:40,  “  and  ye  will  not  come  to  me  that 
ye  might  have  life.”  All  that  an  omnipotent  God 
can  or  should  do  for  a  man’s  salvation,  he  has 
done.  All  that  weak,  sinful  men  have  to  do  is  to 


Those  Who  Are  Indifferent  59 

repent — “change  the  mind,”  believe  and  begin  a 
life  of  obedience  and  testimony. 

Salvation  is  both  an  act  and  a  process.  By  the 
act  we  become  “sons”  (John  1:12),  and  by  the 
process  we  are  ultimately  to  become  “like  him” 
(1  John  3:2). 

IV :  EMPHASIZE  god’s  LOVE 

“More  flies  are  caught  by  molasses  than  vine¬ 
gar.”  It  is  all  too  easy  to  threaten  men  when 
they  fail  to  do  what  we  tell  them,  especially  when 
there  is,  to  us,  no  question  as  to  the  necessity  for 
their  following  the  course  we  have  set  before  them. 

Love  will  thaw  out  most  men.  When  once  they 
are  convinced  that  it  is  a  sincere,  honest  and  un¬ 
selfish  love  that  is  directing  our  conduct,  that  the 
“love  of  God  is  shed  abroad  in  our  hearts”  (Rom. 
5:5),  we  are  apt  very  soon  to  win  men  to  “him 
who  first  loved  us”  (1  John  4: 19). 

Look  up  and  familiarize  yourself  with  the  fol¬ 
lowing  :  Isa.  53:5;  Gal.  3:13;  Romans  2 : 4-5 ; 
1  Peter  2 :  24. 

By  no  means  do  we  expect  personal  evangelists 
always  to  follow  the  foregoing  suggestions,  or 
always  to  deal  with  different  cases  in  the  same 
manner,  or  even  in  a  logical  manner.  Ofttimes 
the  person  approached  will  not  permit  us  clearly 
to  present  the  truth,  and  seldom  shall  we  be  able 


60  Personal  Evangelism 

to  go  over  all  the  ground  suggested.  Nevertheless, 
we  should  strive  to  be  sure  by  one  or  another 
method,  thought  or  passage,  to  do  as  thorough 
work  as  possible.  It  will  thereby  be  permanent. 

Let  us  remember  that  we  do  not  convert  men 
and  that  God  has  endowed  every  man  with  a  free 
will  to  act  as  he,  the  man,  may  choose. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  From  the  use  of  the  Scripture  show  what  is  the  greatest 
sin  that  men  commit. 

2.  How  would  you  convey  to  men  the  consequences  of  sin? 

3.  Do  you  in  your  heart  of  hearts  really  believe  that  unre¬ 
pentant  men  are  to  be  eternally  punished? 

4.  In  your  own  words  explain  the  terms  “wages”  and  “gift.” 

5.  Quote  the  following  (always  locate  when  quoting)  : 
Romans  6:23;  John  8:34;  3:18,  19,  and  Matt.  25:41. 

6.  What  is  necessary  for  a  man  to  be  lost?  And  what  to 
be  saved? 

7.  Wherein  can  we  say  that  salvation  is  both  an  act  and  a 
process  ? 

8.  Why  emphasize  the  love  of  God? 

9.  Are  you  familiar  with  and  can  you  quote  the  following: 
Isa.  53:  5;  Gal.  3: 13;  Romans  2:  4-5,  and  1  Peter  2:  24? 

10.  After  all  what  is  the  great  impelling  motive  whereby  we 
win  men  to  Christ?  (2  Cor.  5:14.) 


PART  TWO:  DIFFICULTIES 


PART  TWO:  DIFFICULTIES 

Chapter  I 

Those  Who  Depend  upon  a  Righteous  Life 

It  is  safe  to  say  that  more  people  depend  upon 
living  a  life  of  right  acts — actions  that  will  bal¬ 
ance  the  accounts  of  life — than  upon  any  other  one 
thing  outside  of  that  which  is  required  of  God, 
viz.,  a  simple  confession  of  faith. 

Eather  than  present  to  God  the  “righteousness 
of  Christ,”  as  their  claim  upon  eternal  life,  men 
seem  instinctively  to  feel  that  they  must  do 
something,  the  doing  of  which  will  win  merit  and 
favor  in  the  sight  of  God. 

“I  am  doing  my  best,”  “I  am  not  so  great  a 
sinner,  ”  or  “  My  life  will  compare  pretty  well  with 
that  of  other  men” — these  and  a  score  of  similar 
replies  are  constantly  being  met  by  personal 
evangelists. 

“Justification”  means  to  be  judged  right,  or 
declared  righteous,  i.e.,  the  full  and  complete  pen¬ 
alty,  fine  or  punishment  for  the  violation  of  the 
law  has  been  met,  paid  or  otherwise  satisfied.  In 
other  words  the  account  is  closed.  For  a  sinner 
to  become  justified — right  in  the  sight  of  God — 

63 


64  Personal  Evangelism 

he  must  not  only  account  for  the  sin  he  has  in¬ 
herited  along  with  the  whole  human  race,  hut  also 
the  sins  of  his  own  past  life  and  the  contagion  that 
comes  upon  him  by  reason  of  the  defilement  of  his 
daily  contact  with  sin  about  him  as  well  as  any 
violations  he  may  commit  in  the  future — an  im¬ 
possible  task  of  himself. 

Having  been  justified  we  are  adopted  (lit., 
“placed  as  sons”),  becoming  sons  of  God  (John 
1:12). 

I*.  WE  MUST  BE  PURE  IN  THE  SIGHT  OF  GOD 

To  be  accepted  in  his  sight  we  must  be  spotless 
(Eph.  5:27;  2  Peter  3:14;  Heb.  9:14),  for  God’s 
eyes  are  too  pure  and  holy  even  to  behold  sin 
(Hab.  1:13). 

For  a  man  to  become  thus  pure  enough  to  enter 
the  sight  of  God,  for  him  to  be  justified  in  his 
sight,  becomes  a  herculean  task,  impossible  of 
human  accomplishment. 

II :  IT  IS  IMPOSSIBLE  FOR  MAH  TO  BALANCE  ACCOUNTS 

God  has  distinctly  told  us  that  we  cannot  be 
accepted  in  his  sight  on  the  ground  of  our  indi¬ 
vidual  character  (Gal.  2:16;  Kom.  3:19-20).  To 
come  otherwise  than  by  the  way  of  the  cross  would 
stultify  God  and  make  Calvary  a  mockery.  From 
the  passages  just  cited  we  are  distinctly  told  that 


Those  Who  Depend  upon  Righteous  Life  65 

“by  the  deeds  of  the  law,”  i.e .,  by  presenting  our 
own  righteousness,  “shall  no  man  be  judged  as 
righteous.  ’  ’  The  law  was  given  to  stop  the  mouths 
of  men  who  make  such  claims. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  all  non-Christian 
religions  lay  great  stress  upon  the  doing  of 
righteousness,  and  in  none  of  them  do  their  ad¬ 
herents  find  satisfaction,  or  assurance  that  the  ac¬ 
counts  have  been  satisfactorily  balanced.  All  such 
attempts  of  men  are  failures  (James  2: 10). 

Further,  we  must  face  the  impossibility  of  get¬ 
ting  men  to  agree  upon  a  moral  standard  to  which 
all  must  attain,  or  a  price  value  of  good  works 
which  all  men  must  or  may  exchange  for  a 
righteous  life — one  to  be  accepted  by  a  just  and 
holy  God  (Matt.  5:20). 

Ill:  RIGHTEOUSNESS  IS  A  CONDITION  OF  THE  HEART 

Every  attempt  to  secure  self-righteousness  is 
based  upon  the  false  assumption  that  it  is  our 
outward  conduct,  seen  of  men,  that  will  win  favor 
and  eternal  life  from  God. 

Read  carefully  such  passages  as  Luke  16 : 15 ; 
Rom.  2 : 16,  and  1  Sam.  16 :  7. 

Whatever  the  outward  life  may  be,  few  men 
could  stand  the  exposure,  if  it  were  possible  to 
picture  them  upon  a  screen,  of  the  innermost 
thoughts  and  interests  of  their  hearts. 

Again  such  a  concept  of  righteousness  is  based 


66  Personal  Evangelism 

upon  a  false  understanding  of  the  fundamental 
idea  of  sin.  Sin  is  not  crime  or  misdemeanors : 
sin  is  an  attitude  of  life,  a  relation  to  God  through 
his  Son  (John  16:9),  that  results  in  these  overt 
acts  of  unrighteousness.  The  Master  has  told  us 
what  the  “ first  and  great  commandment”  is,  and 
Paul  has  enumerated  the  fruits  of  the  violation 
of  this  command  (Gal.  5:18-21). 


IV :  RIGHTEOUSNESS  IS  ONLY  BY  FAITH 

We  have  already  shown  in  Part  One,  Chapter 

II,  that  salvation  is  conditioned  upon  faith 
(Heb.  11:6;  John  6:29).  It  is  “imputed,”  liter¬ 
ally,  made  over  to  us,  or  credited  to  our  account. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  Tell  in  yonr  own  language,  using  Scripture  passages  to 
confirm,  why  it  is  that  God  will  accept  only  the  righteous¬ 
ness  of  Christ. 

2.  Give  in  your  own  language  the  meaning  of  “justification.” 

3.  What  does  God  require  of  all  who  come  into  his  presence 
and  why?  Quote  James  2: 10. 

4.  If  a  man  could  earn  enough  merit  in  the  sight  of  God  to 
be  saved  what  would  the  result  be  as  related  to  Calvary? 

5.  What  difficulty  do  we  encounter  when  we  attempt  to  reach 
a,  standard  of  morality? 

6.  What  do  you  understand  to  be  the  fundamental  character 
of  sin? 

7.  Using  the  Scripture,  tell  what  are  to  be  the  products,  or 
fruits,  and  the  final  result  of  sin  in  a  man’s  life. 


Those  Who  Depend  upon  Righteous  Life  67 

8.  When  we  tell  men  that  only  through  faith  can  they  be 
saved,  what  is  implied?  Faith  in  what? 

9.  Quote  Acts  4 : 12. 

10.  How  may  we  secure  a  righteousness  satisfactory  to  God? 


Chapter  II 


Those  Who  Say:  “ God  Is  Too  Good  to  Damn 

a  Soul ” 

This  is  a  4  ‘  stock  argument  ”  offered  honestly  by 
many,  but  more  often  it  is  offered  as  an  excuse  to 
cover  up  a  life  of  lax  morals.  Men  selfishly  seek 
to  continue  living  in  sin  and  then  to  crawl  into 
heaven  on  the  goodness  of  Giod.  They  are  not 
willing  to  suffer  the  penalty  invoked  by  their 
selfish  modes  of  living. 

The  only  knowledge  we  have  of  God’s  goodness 
is  that  revealed  to  us  in  the  Bible,  and  in  it  alone 
have  we  any  clear  assurance  even  that  he  is  Love. 

There  is  no  love  revealed  in  nature — “red  in 
tooth  and  claw. 9  7 

i:  GOD  IS  GOOD  FOR  A  PURPOSE 

That  God  is  good  and  that  none  of  us  has  re¬ 
ceived  blessings  according  to  our  merits  all  will 
acknowledge,  but  we  all  need  to  be  reminded  that 
in  this  goodness  he  has  an  end  in  view  (Rom.  2:4). 

Most  men  seem  to  fail  to  comprehend  the  corol¬ 
lary  truth,  viz.,  that  the  penalty  for  an  outraged, 
spurned  love  and  violated  justice  must  be  satis¬ 
fied,  else  God  would,  himself,  be  unjust. 

68 


“God  Is  Too  Good  to  Damn  a  Soul”  69 


The  man  who  ruins  womanhood,  blasts  char¬ 
acter,  sets  free  slander  or  wrongs  mankind,  to  say 
naught  of  outraging  God,  is  surely  treasuring  up 
“wrath”  against  the  day  of  the  full  revelation  of 
the  righteous  judgments  of  God. 

II :  GOD  DOES  NOT  DAMN  ANY  SOIJL 

Nowhere  in  the  Word  are  we  told  that  God 
damns  the  souls  of  men.  God  is  both  loving  and 
righteous.  He  has  also  provided  a  complete  and 
a  satisfactory  righteousness  which  is  free  to  all 
men.  He  is  not  willing  that  any  should  perish; 
to  assert  otherwise  is  to  slander  (2  Peter  3:9). 

If  men  are  ultimately  and  finally  lost  none  will 
ever  be  able  to  accuse  God  of  any  responsibility 
for  their  lost  condition. 

If  men  choose  to  follow  the  Evil  One,  to  do  his 
behests,  then  they  and  they  alone  are  responsible 
if  they  are  judged  worthy  to  accompany  him  to 
that  place  prepared  for  him  and  his  servants 
(Matt.  25:41).  The  saddest  words  our  Master 
ever  uttered  are  those  recorded  in  J ohn  5 : 40, 
“and  ye  would  not  come  unto  me,  that  ye  might 
have  life.” 

Ill:  WE  MUST  JUDGE  GOD  IN  THE  FUTUKE  BY  GOD  IN 

THE  PAST 

If  men  still  persist  in  seeking  thus  to  excuse 
their  careless  lives,  it  may  be  well  to  show  how 


70  Personal  Evangelism 

God  has  dealt  with  men  in  the  past  (2  Peter  2 :  4-6 
and  9).  This  passage  removes  from  onr  thinking 
all  speculation  as  to  the  future.  What  we  may 
expect  of  him  hereafter  is  clearly  indicated  by 
what  he  has  done  in  his  dealings  with  men  in  the 
past. 

Try  to  get  men  to  see  that  a  present  safety 
(John  3:  36)  is  much  more  to  be  desired  than  to 
take  chances  upon  an  uncertain  future  (John 
3:18-19). 

Dr.  Torrey  relates  how  a  missionary  “  simply 
quoted  the  Bible,  ’  ’  rather  than  entering  into  a  con¬ 
troversy,  to  one  who  brought  forward  this  stock, 
universalist  statement,  with  the  result  that  by  the 
next  day  the  Spirit  had  so  moved  upon  the  man’s 
heart  that  he  sought  the  missionary,  not  this  time 
for  an  argument,  but  rather  to  have  pointed  out 
to  him  the  way  of  life,  lest  he  “perish”  (Luke 
13:3). 


IV  :  SHALLOW  SKEPTICISM 

We  shall  consider  later  the  skeptic  as  a  class, 
but  a  few  words  here  will  not  be  out  of  place. 

Men  who  make  the  reply  suggested  as  our  lesson 
subject  reveal  their  shallow  thinking  as  regards 
spiritual  matters.  Our  aim  should  be  to  deepen 
their  sense  of  need  before  God.  Have  them  read 
Heb.  2 : 1-4.  It  will  help  to  quicken  it. 

Men  who  hold  to  this  opinion  are  shortsighted 


“God  Is  Too  Good  to  Damn  a  Soul ”  71 


in  that  they  have  a  sentimental  idea  of  God  as 
one  who  lacks  strength  of  character  and  who  is 
governed  by  his  emotions  irrespective  of  facts. 
They  do  not  comprehend  the  awfnlness  of  sin, 
nor  the  compassion  of  Jesns  for  the  lost  (Luke 
19:41-44). 

4  ‘  Imagine  a  pupil  coming  to  his  father,  who  is 
his  teacher,  with  his  problem  wrong,  and  his  father 
saying,  ‘It  does  not  matter.  I  love  you  so  much. 
We  will  let  it  pass/  You  would  say  he  did  not 
really  love  his  child  and  did  not  love  mathe¬ 
matics.  ” — Dr.  Howard  A.  Johnston. 

So  when  we  come  to  God,  his  love  does  not  over¬ 
look  our  sin,  but  because  he  does  love  us  so  much 
we  must  have  the  problem  of  sin  made  right,  and 
as  the  true  teacher  he  will  help  us.  If  we  are  not 
willing  to  let  him  help  to  make  the  problem  right 
our  case  is  hopeless,  even  though  love  has  provided 
the  solution. 


QUESTIONS 

1.  From  memory  write  out  an  outline  of  this  lesson. 

2.  What  is  the  purpose  of  the  goodness  of  God? 

3.  What  must  of  necessity  accompany  the  goodness  of  God 
to  make  him  righteous  ? 

4.  Do  the  Scriptures  anywhere  say  that  God  “damns”  a  soul? 

5.  Quote  and  locate  passages  that  prove  the  contrary. 

6.  For  whom  was  punishment  prepared  and  on  whom  does 
Jesus  throw  the  burden  of  responsibility  if  a  man  does 
suffer  ? 


72  Personal  Evangelism 

7.  By  what  may  we  judge  God’s  future  judgments  upon  men? 

8.  Have  you  met  persons  recently  who  have  made  the  reply 
mentioned  as  the  subject  of  this  lesson?  Tell  how  you 
dealt  with  them,  the  Scriptures  you  used  and  the  result. 


Chapter  III 


Those  Who  Say:  “ I  Am  Feeling  All  Right . 
What  More  Is  Needed  V’ 

It  seems  passing  strange  that  persons  who  will 
not  allow  their  feelings  to  govern  their  conduct 
with  respect  to  their  business  will  at  the  same  time 
be  satisfied  about  their  soul’s  eternal  welfare  by 
such  an  illogical  attitude  of  life. 

While  it  is  true  that  many  never  knew  the  mo¬ 
ment  of  their  conversion,  and  also  that  no  two 
persons  ever  find  Christ  in  exactly  the  same  man¬ 
ner,  it  is  also  true  that  every  man  may  know  that 
he  has  1  ‘ passed  from  death  unto  lif e  ”  (John  5:24; 
1  John  3  : 14). 

The  honest  man  therefore  is  the  man  who  will 
examine  himself  and  fearlessly  answer  the  ques¬ 
tion,  “Have  I  accepted  Christ  as  my  Savior  and 
Lord?” 

I:  EMPHASIZE  THE  NEED  OF  POSITIVE  AND  DEFINITE 

ACTION 

The  person,  who  honestly  takes  stock  of  his 
spiritual  condition  and  standing  before  God,  may 
be  as  sure  of  his  standing  as  he  is  that  Christ  is 
God’s  Son  and  our  Savior.  Willing  obedience 

73 


7 4  Personal  Evangelism 

is  the  price  of  knowledge.  If  men  will  set  their 
wills  in  right  relation  to  the  will  of  God  they  will 
soon  have  the  answer  to  their  question,  ‘ 4  What 
more  is  needed?”  (John  7:17). 

The  prophet  tells  us  that  “we  may  know  if  we 
follow  on  to  know  the  Lord”  (Hos.  6:3).  Re¬ 
ligious  knowledge,  like  every  other  sort  of  knowl¬ 
edge,  depends  upon  experience  (Jer.  29: 13). 

In  every  relation  of  life,  business,  education, 
politics,  love — every  one — men  realize,  to  a  de¬ 
gree  at  least,  the  need  of  action.  They  exercise 
faith  and  make  public  confession  of  their  beliefs. 
Not  long  do  they  rely  upon  and  act  solely  upon  a 
state  of  their  feelings;  if  they  do  they  soon  have 
cause  to  rue  such  a  course  of  life. 

II :  FEELINGS  ARE  UNSTABLE 

The  Apostle  James  (1:  6-8)  admonishes  us  that 
in  our  thinking  and  our  conduct  we  must  not  be 
governed  as  are  the  waves  of  the  sea  by  the  set 
of  the  wind. 

Our  entrance  into  heaven  is  more  sure  than 
that  we  happen  to  “feel  that  we  are  saved.”  To¬ 
morrow  we  may  have  indigestion  or  receive  some¬ 
body’s  rebuff  and  feel  quite  differently  about  the 
question. 

The  Word  tells  us  that  the  “heart  is  deceitful 
and  desperately  wicked:  who  can  know  it?”  (Jer. 
17:9);  also  that,  “there  is  a  way  that  seemetli 


<CI  Am  Feeling  All  Right — "  75 

right  unto  a  man,  but  the  end  thereof  are  the  ways 
of  death ”  (Prov.  14:12). 

The  thought  needs  to  be  driven  home  that  men 
are  not  to  rest  their  hope  upon  anything  but  the 
sure  Word  of  God.  Read  the  story  of  the  Pharisee 
(Luke  18:9-14). 

False  assurance  has  led  to  most  of  the  world’s 
great  tragedies.  “Didn’t  think  it  was  loaded” 
leads  to  many  deaths.  We  safeguard  our  posses¬ 
sions,  why  not  be  assured  about  our  souls,  the  most 
priceless  treasure? 

“I  think”  would  not  have  been  sufficient  to  save 
the  life  of  the  first  born  on  the  night  of  the  Pass- 
over.  The  blood  must  be  applied  to  the  door  post 
and  lintel  (Ex.  12: 13  and  21-23).  Only  as  we  are 
thus  hidden  behind  the  blood  is  there  any  true 
assurance  of  salvation  (Heb.  9 :  22). 

Ill:  OUR  GROUND  OF  ASSURANCE 

Having  thus  shown  the  fallacy  of  such  a  posi¬ 
tion,  let  us  turn  to  the  opposite  truth,  viz.,  the 
sure  ground  of  hope — the  Word.  “God,  that  can¬ 
not  lie”  (Titus  1:2),  has  plainly  told  us  what  the 
result  of  believing  will  be.  To  rest  our  faith  upon 
any  other  ground  than  the  finished  work  of  Christ 
would  make  the  sacrifice  of  Christ  a  travesty,  and 
the  blood  he  shed  on  Calvary  an  unclean  thing. 

The  hope  of  heaven  for  a  true  believer  does  not 
rest  upon  an  expectancy  or  a  vague  “I  hope  so.” 


7 6  Personal  Evangelism 

It  rests  upon  a  foundation  as  immutable  as  God 
himself.  The  believer  can  say  with  Paul,  ‘  ‘  I  know 
whom  I  have  believed  and  am  persuaded  that  he 
is  able  to  keep  that  which  I  have  committed  unto 
him”  (2  Tim.  1 : 12). 

The  difference  is  the  difference  between  knowl¬ 
edge  that  rests  upon  a  basis  of  fact  and  the  word 
of  One  who  will  never  fail,  and  the  faith  that  de¬ 
pends  upon  the  tickle,  changeable  feelings  of  weak 
human  nature.  The  one  is  a  faith  of  and  from  an 
unchanging  God,  and  the  other  a  faith  of  or  from 
man  and  his  changeable  feelings. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  Were  you  one  that  allowed  your  feelings  to  govern  your 
acceptance  of  Jesus  as  your  Savior? 

2.  If  so,  tell  how  you  came  to  desert  your  feelings  for  a  more 
sure  ground  of  hope. 

3.  What  is  the  vital  question  we  need  to  get  men  to  settle, 
and  why  is  it  so  vital? 

4.  How  do  men  gain  knowledge  in  all  the  experiences  of  life  ? 

5.  What  do  the  Prophet  Jeremiah  and  the  Apostle  James 
have  to  say  that  bears  upon  the  question  of  this  lesson? 

6.  Why  would  the  attitude  of  “I  think”  or  “I  feel”  not  have 
availed  on  the  night  of  the  Passover? 

7.  What  is  the  underlying  thought  of  the  Passover  that  re¬ 
lates  itself  to  the  question  under  consideration? 

8.  What  is  the  opposite  truth  that  we  ought  to  emphasize? 

9.  Upon  what  does  our  assurance  of  eternal  life  rest?  Quote 
2  Timothy  1 : 12. 

10.  What  great  question  summarizes  this  entire  lesson? 


Chapter  IV 

Those  Who  Say:  “I  Am  Too  Great  a  Sinner ” 

Christ  has  said:  ‘ 4 Except  ye  repent,  ye  shall  all 
likewise  perish,”  and  repentance  (man’s  work) 
involves  first  of  all  a  realization  that  one  is  a 
sinner.  There  is  to-day  far  too  little  apprehen¬ 
sion  of  the  character  and  magnitude  of  sin  and 
its  results. 

We  ought  to  pray  that  more  people  might  reach 
the  conclusion  noted  as  the  subject  of  this  lesson, 
for,  fortunately,  it  is  a  difficulty  that  can  be  easily 
met  if  we  will  but  take  the  Word  of  God  at  its 
face  value. 


i:  THE  WORDS  OF  CHRIST 

“i But  when  Jesus  heard  that ,  he  said  unto  them, 
‘  They  that  he  whole  need  not  a  physician ,  hut  they 
that  are  sick  .  .  .  for  I  am  not  come  to  call  the 
righteous  hut  sinners  to  repentance”  (Matt. 
9:12-13). 

Instead  of  sin  being  an  obstacle,  paradoxical  as 
it  seems,  a  knowledge  or  realization  of  sin  is  the 
first  step  into  the  Kingdom.  It  was  for  just  such 
that  the  Son  of  Man  lived,  died  and  rose  again  to 

prepare  the  way  unto  eternal  life. 

77 


78  Personal  Evangelism 

((For  the  Son  of  Man  is  come  to  seek  and  to  save 
that  which  was  lost”  ( Luke  19: 10). 

Never  tell  a  man  that  he  is  not  a  sinner,  nor 
that,  relatively,  he  is  really  not  so  bad.  Better 
far  to  acknowledge  his  statement  as  being  abso¬ 
lutely  correct  and  even  that  his  sin  is  greater  far 
than  he  thinks  it  is — which  would  also  be  correct 
— but  at  the  same  time  let  him  know  that  his  case 
has  been  met  and  that  his  sin  is  settled  (Isa.  53:6). 

In  bringing  these  words  of  the  Master  to  men  we 
need  to  exercise  great  patience,  forbearance  and 
persistence,  especially  with  those  whose  lives  have 
long  been  set  in  sin  and  indifference. 

Wisdom  may  be  ours  for  the  asking  (James 
1:5),  but  we  also  need  the  poise  that  was  in  the 
life  of  Jesus  which  goes  with  a  set  purpose,  willing 
to  wait  patiently,  “nevertheless”  (Judges  2:16), 
going  forward  over  repeated  failures  with  a  love 
that  “never  faileth”  to  a  finished  and  a  glorious 
consummation  (Acts  20:24). 

II :  THE  WOEDS  OF  PAUL 

If  any  man  ever  realized  the  enormity  of  sin 
and  its  consequences  it  was  the  Apostle  Paul.  It 
is  he  who  has  given  us  the  best  sort  of  reply  for 
one  who  is  confronted  by  the  difficulty  mentioned 
as  the  subject  of  this  lesson. 

(<This  is  a  faithful  saying ,  and  worthy  of  all 
acceptation ,  that  Christ  Jesus  came  into  the 


“I  Am  Too  Great  a  Sinner ” 


79 


world  to  save  sinners;  of  whom  I  am  chief” 

(1  Tim.  1:15). 

This  apparent  after-thought  of  Paul’s,  the 
added  words,  “of  whom  I  am  chief,”  will  match 
almost  any  case  with  which  we  have  to  deal.  Few 
men  can  equal  the  life  of  rebellious  sin,  includ¬ 
ing  as  it  does  even  murder,  that  Paul  led  before 
he  undertook  his  Damascus  journey. 

In  Romans  5 :  6-8  Paul  goes  on  to  add  that  the 
love  of  God  is  commended  to  us  “in  that,  while 
we  were  yet  sinners,  Christ  died  for  us.” 

If  men  can  only  be  taught  the  nature  of  sin 
in  its  essence,  and  that  salvation  is  a  gift  of  life 
from  God  through  J esus  Christ,  they  will  soon  see 
that  they  are  to  be  saved  not  by  what  they  do  but 
by  accepting  the  gift. 

Some  people  look  upon  murder  as  the  greatest 
sin  in  the  catalogue  of  sins,  and  there  are  more 
whose  hands  are  crimson-stained  than  we  are 
aware.  But  it  is  well  to  ask,  “Who  is  the  mur¬ 
derer?”  Read  carefully  Matt.  5:22,  19:18,  and 
1  John  3:15.  No  matter,  however,  even  though  it 
be  real  and  actual  murder,  we  have  a  promise  to 
meet  that  case  (Isa.  1: 18),  the  instance  of  David 
under  similar  circumstances  (Ps.  51: 14),  and  we 
need  to  remember  that  his  prayer  was  answered 
(Ps.  32:5). 


80 


Personal  Evangelism 


III:  SHOW  MEN  HOW  TO  BE  SAVED 

“It  is  not  enough  to  remove  difficulties,  we  must  ;■ 
bring  inquirers  to  a  saving  knowledge  of  Christ. ’  ’ 
— Dr.  R.  A.  Torrey. 

The  student  by  this  time  ought  to  be  able  to  do 
this  from  his  memory  of  previous  lessons  and 
without  any  reference  to  the  printed  text. 

The  tendency  of  this  age  of  commercialism  and 
pleasure  (Rom.  1:21-22)  is  to  smother  the  sense 
of  sin.  Not  alone  Christians,  but  all  men  need  a 
more  profound  concern  about  their  own  lives 
(Acts  14:16).  We  need  to  emphasize  the  help 
that  comes  from  a  confession  (Rev.  12:11)  of 
Christ  as  well  as  its  demanded  necessity. 

The  way  to  break  the  slavery  of  sin  is  to  begin 
a  life  of  new  obedience.  Purpose  is  needed  if  we 
are  to  obtain  power.  Love  cannot  be  proven  by 
logic.  “Come”  and  “learn”  is  the  law  of  Christ 
(Matt.  11:28-30). 


QUESTIONS 

1.  Do  you  believe  that  there  is  too  little  apprehension  of  the 
character,  magnitude  and  results  of  sin?  If  so,  give  your 
reasons  for  that  opinion. 

2.  Why  ought  we  never  to  tell  a  man  that  he  is  not  a  bad 
man,  a  sinner? 

3.  Why  is  the  case  and  why  are  the  words  of  Paul  so  particu¬ 
larly  applicable  to  the  difficulty  of  this  lesson? 

4.  Quote  Matt.  9:13;  Luke  19:10;  1  Tim.  1: 15,  and  James 
1:5. 


“I  Am  Too  Great  a  Sinner”  81 

5.  What  is  Paul's  argument  for  this  elassfof  men  as  recorded 
in  Romans  5 :  6-8  ? 

6.  Why  is  it  not  enough  simply  to  remove  the  difficulties? 

7.  What  seems  to  have  been  the  idea  and  teaching  of  Jesus 
with  regard  to  murder?  Is  murder  the  greatest  sin? 

8.  What  is  the  tendency  of  this  age  with  regard  to  sin  and 
why? 

9.  Why  is  a  confession  of  faith  necessary  and  helpful? 

10.  Why  cannot  love  be  proved  by  logic?  What  is  ChrisPs 
law  whereby  we  are  to  learn? 


Chapter  V 

Those  Who  Say:  “ I  Must  Become  Better” 

“All  men  are  incurably  religious/’  said  a 
famous  French  thinker.  This  but  emphasizes  the 
fact  that  we  need  to  distinguish  between  natural 
religion  and  religion  which  is  revealed  Christian¬ 
ity;  between  religion  in  the  natural  sense  and  re¬ 
ligion  in  the  spiritual  sense  of  believing  on  Jesus 
Christ  as  the  atoning  one — a  supernatural  re¬ 
ligion. 

A  child  is  by  nature  in  some  sense  religious.  He 
has  a  capacity  for  religion,  but  he  is  not  naturally 
a  Christian. 


I:  THE  CULTURE  THEORY 

1.  This  theory  denies  the  necessity  of  conver¬ 
sion.  and  advocates  culture  as  the  essential  thing 
in  bringing  one’s  life  into  right  relation  to  God. 
Some  advocate  the  idea  that  from  childhood  we 
are  God-like  and  are  by  nature  God’s  children. 
Others  advance  the  idea  that  we  can  by  joining 
the  church,  “when  we  become  good  enough,”  gain 
proper  merit  in  the  sight  of  God.  This  latter  class 
ignores  entirely  the  necessity  of  regeneration. 

Salvation  does  not  result  from  character  but 

82 


“I  Must  Become  Better ” 


83 


character  grows  out  of,  is  the  result  of,  salvation. 

2.  We  have  already  shown  how  clearly  and  posi¬ 
tively  the  Bible  speaks  as  regards  a  man’s  natural 
or  sinful  condition.  Look  up  once  more  Komans 
8:7;  Ps.  51:5,  and  John  3:3,  6. 

“  ‘Born  anew,’  not  ‘ altered, ’  ‘influenced,’  ‘re- 
invigorated,’  ‘reformed’  but  a  new  beginning, 
a  new  stamp  of  character,  a  new  family  like¬ 
ness  to  God  and  to  his  children.” — Dr.  A.  H. 
Strong. 

“The  voice  of  Scripture  agrees  with  the  voice  of 
conscience  and  experience,  and  these  agree  with 
the  witness  of  observation,  all  declaring  that 
human  nature,  whether  in  the  child  or  adult,  is 
fallen  and  marred  and  requires  the  regenerating 
grace  of  God.” — Dr.  P.  E.  Burroughs. 

II :  SALVATION  IS  ALL  OF  GRACE 

From  the  foregoing  we  must  see  that  the 
trouble  with  those  who  offer  this  difficulty  is,  that 
they  seem  to  think  they  are  to  attain  to  a  certain 
degree  of  moral  character  in  order  to  be  accepted 
by  God;  something  of  their  own  merit  that  they 
may  present  to  God  in  lieu  of  the  righteousness  of 
Christ  which  alone  has  merit  in  his  sight. 

1.  Salvation  is  not  partly  of  works  and  partly 
by  grace.  Paul  deals  with  this  subject  in  his  letter 
to  the  Galatian  church  (Gal.  2 :  5  to  3  :  24). 

The  believer  is  identified  with  the  death  of 


84  Personal  Evangelism 

Christ  by  faith  and  is  by  God  reckoned  to  be 
“dead”  (Gal.  2:19;  Rom.  6:3-10,  7:4). 

2.  The  believer  who  is  thns  justified  by  faith  is, 
then,  placed  under  the  law  as  the  rule  of  his  life. 
See  Romans,  chapters  6,  7  and  8,  also  Galatians, 
chapters  4  and  5. 

(a)  The  law  is  our  “school  master”  (peda¬ 
gogue)  (Gal.  3 :  23-24). 

(b)  Faith  justifies  us  and  delivers  us  from  the 
pedagogue  (v.  25).  No  Gentile  can  keep  the  cere¬ 
monial  law,  the  Mosaic  law,  and  no  Jew  has  been 
able  to  keep  it  since  the  destruction  of  the  Temple 
and  of  Jerusalem,  A.D.  70. 

(c)  The  believer  is  separated  from  the  law  by 
the  death  and  resurrection  of  Christ  (Gal. 
4 : 19-31 ;  Romans  6 : 13-15,  7:1-6). 

“Nothing  in  my  hand  I  bring, 

Simply  to  thy  Cross  I  cling; 

Naked,  come  to  thee  for  dress; 

Helpless,  look  to  thee  for  grace; 

Foul,  I  to  the  fountain  fly, 

Wash  me,  Saviour,  or  I  die.” 

hi:  ETERNAL  LIFE  BEGINS  THE  MOMENT  WE  BELIEVE 

1.  The  Scriptures  we  have  had  plainly  teach 
us  that  Christ  came  not  to  save  the  good  and  the 
righteous  (Matt.  9:12-13;  Romans  5:6-8);  he 
came  not  for  those  who  have  attained  to  a  certain 


“I  Must  Become  Better " 


85 


degree  of  morality;  indeed,  the  very  opposite  is 
the  truth,  viz.,  that  he  came  to  :‘seek  and  to  save” 
the  sinful  and  the  unworthy  (Luke  19  : 10). 

2.  Who  will  tell  us  to  what  degree  of  moral 
living  we  must  attain  that  we  may  be  worthy  in 
the  sight  of  God!  No  universal  standard  has 
ever  been  offered  by  any  system  of  man-made  re¬ 
ligions.  No  two  persons  will  agree  on  the  details 
of  what  God  will  accept,  and  no  man  in  his  normal 
senses  has  yet  reached  a  satisfactory  standard. 
Having  attained  one  level  he  always  is  able  to  see 
yet  abundant  room  for  improvement. 

3.  The  Scriptures  are  also  profuse  in  illus¬ 
trating  God’s  willingness  to  save  the  sinner  as  he 
is ,  or  rather,  to  take  him  as  he  is  and  to  make  him 
what  he  ought  to  be  (Luke  15 : 18-24,  23 :  39-43). 

The  Publican  and  the  Pharisee  are  perhaps  the 
best  illustration  of  the  fact,  which  answers  the  dif¬ 
ficulty  of  this  lesson,  that  one  must  take  the  sin¬ 
ner’s  place  and  fearlessly  throw  himself  upon  the 
grace  of  God  in  order  to  be  saved  (Luke  18 : 10-14) . 

IV :  IT  IS  POSSIBLE  TO  LIVE  THE  VICTOKIOUS  LLFE 

(Gal.  5:16-24) 

To  walk  in  the  Spirit  is  not  to  live  a  life  of 
forced  conformity  to  rules  and  conduct  of  life. 
In  this  passage  the  result  of  the  life  of  victory 
through  the  Spirit  is  set  forth  both  negatively  and 
positively. 


86  Personal  Evangelism 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  do  you  understand  to  be  the  difference  between 
natural  religion  and  revealed  Christianity*? 

2.  In  what  sense  is  the  child  naturally  religious? 

3.  What  is  meant  by  the  cultural  theory? 

4.  Upon  what  degree  of  righteousness  does  salvation  rest? 

5.  Show  how  salvation  is  not  a  combination  of  grace  and  of 
works. 

6.  With  what  is  the  believer  justified  in  the  sight  of  God? 

7.  What  is  the  law  to  the  believer? 

8.  In  what  condition  must  one  come  to  God  to  obtain 
salvation  ? 

9.  Locate  and  quote  the  Scriptures  to  show  when  eternal  life 
begins. 

10.  Quote  Scriptures  to  show  God’s  willingness  to  save  men 
as  they  are. 


Chapter  VI 


Those  Who  Say:  “ I  Cannot  Hold  Out  or  Give 

Up  My  Bad  Habits ” 

A  mistaken  idea  about  what  is  necessary  to  an 
acceptable  and  a  sincere  confession  of  faith  often 
prevents  men  from  making  any  declaration  of 
faith  whatever. 

Likewise  there  are  those  who  seem  to  doubt  the 
power  of  God  as  well  as  any  action  of  their  own 
wills  (John  7:17). 

i:  WE  ARE  HOT  COMMANDED  TO  4  4  HOLD  OUT” 

1.  Eepeatedly  we  have  shown  that  to  be  saved 
we  need  first  of  all  to  know  that  we  are  lost 
(Eomans  3:10,23);  that  Christ  alone  can  save; 
that  we  are  to  repent  and  believe  (John  5:24); 
and  that  salvation  is  not  a  question  of  when  or 
where ,  but  of  are  yoy  now  saved ?  (See  also  II, 
paragraph  3  of  this  lesson.) 

2.  Having  reaffirmed  our  standing  in  the  sight 
of  God,  we  can  go  on  and  show  that  God  sees  us 
in  Christ,  and  sets  out  to  conform  us  into  his  like¬ 
ness  (Eomans  8 :  29).  Surely  he  will  keep  and  pre¬ 
serve  that  which  has  cost  him  so  dearly  to  pur¬ 
chase  and  redeem  (John  3 : 16). 

87 


88  Personal  Evangelism 

A  most  useful  passage  with  which  to  emphasize 
God’s  preserving  and  keeping  power  is  that  found 
in  1  Peter  1 : 15  : 

“Who  are  kept  by  the  power  of  God  through 
faith  unto  salvation  ready  to  be  revealed  in  the 
last  timed 9 

Another  is  John  10 :  28-29.  The  one  who  accepts 
Christ  as  his  Savior  does  not  depend  for  his 
safety  and  preservation  upon  his  own  endeavor 
to  “hold  out,”  but  rather  upon  the  keeping  power 
of  the  Father  and  the  Son.  See  also  2  Tim.  1 : 12 ; 
Jude  24,  and  Isa.  41 : 10-13. 

3.  For  those  who  are  fearful  lest  some  great  or 
sudden  temptation  may  trip  them  up  and  they 
become  engulfed  in  sin,  quote  1  Cor.  10 : 13.  Ever 
remember  that  eternal  life  is  not  something  to  be 
lost  because,  in  a  moment  of  weakness  or  thought¬ 
lessness,  one  commits  a  sin.  Nevertheless  it  is 
true  that  when  such  occasions  arise  and  tempta¬ 
tions  and  testings  come,  God  provides  a  way  of 
escape  whereby  we  may  be  delivered. 

A  well-known  Christian  worker  testified  that  one 
of  the  darkest  days  of  his  life  came  to  him  be¬ 
cause  he,  having  received  a  telegram,  left  a  rail¬ 
way  train  and  deliberately  ran  into  the  way  of 
temptation.  God  had  provided  for  him  a  way  of 
escape  had  he  remained  upon  the  train,  but 
he  refused  to  accept  the  provision  with  dire 
results. 

4.  “I  am  too  weak”  is  a  God-given  opportunity 


89 


“I  Cannot  Hold  Out — " 

for  Christ  to  manifest  his  strength  (2  Cor. 
12:9-10).  Be  sure  to  memorize  Phil.  4:13  for 
use  in  this  as  well  as  many  other  connections. 

II :  THE  QUESTION  OF  EVIL  HABITS 

1.  The  impartation  of  a  “new”  nature  to  the 
believer  may  or  may  not  mean  the  eradication  of 
the  “thorn”  of  weakness,  the  tendency  to  evil  acts 
which  it  has  taken  perhaps  years  to  establish  in 
one’s  life. 

God’s  power  to  remove  entirely  appetites 
and  habits  is  beyond  question.  Still  it  is  also  a 
fact  that  he  may  not  so  remove  them  lest  we  be¬ 
come  vain  and  acquire  some  other  weakness  of 
pride,  false  ambition  or  lust  of  the  flesh.  In  such 
case  it  is  just  as  great  a  manifestation  of  God’s 
power  for  him  to  keep  with  safety  the  believer  as 
for  him  to  remove  the  appetite  or  passion.  1  John 
1 :  9  was  addressed  to  those  who  have  already  be¬ 
lieved. 

2.  Our  standing  in  grace  does  not  depend  upon 
ourselves,  but  upon  God.  It  is  the  will  of  Christ 
that  we  should  be  “more  than  conquerors”  (Phil. 
1:6).  God  will  never  leave  us. 

It  is  God  who  cleanses  us  (Ezek.  36:  25-27)  and 
we  need  not  fear  the  power  of  evil  if  we  are  truly 
the  sons  of  God;  our  faith  in  God  makes  the  im¬ 
possible  possible. 

3.  But  we  must  give  up  our  sins  or  perish. 


90  Personal  Evangelism 

God’s  holy  purity  and  man’s  evil  nature  cannot 
and  will  not  have  fellowship  (Romans  2  :  8-9;  Gal. 
6:7-8). 

Repentance  for  sin,  being  sorry  enough  to  quit, 
involves  a  new  viewpoint,  a  new  beholding  of  sin, 
a  new  feeling  about  sin,  its  awful  character  and 
its  terribleness  in  the  sight  of  God,  and  finally  a 
new  attitude  of  life,  a  new  relation,  a  turning  from 
it,  quitting  it,  and  turning  to  God. 

in:  THE  EVIDENCES  OF  REGENERATION 

(“What  a  Christian  ought  to  know.” — Rev.  H. 
W.  Pope.) 

1.  A  sincere  and  real  longing  after  God  and 
righteousness  is  the  first  thing  (Ps.  73 :  25).  There 
is  repentance  and  a  repugnance  for  things  evil  and 
sinful  and  a  heart  that  hungers  after  God  (Jer. 
33:3). 

2.  A  love  for  the  Word  of  God  (Ps.  119:97). 
To  feed  upon  the  Bread  of  Life,  to  “eat”  it  that 
it  may  become  assimilated  into  the  very  bone, 
blood  and  tissue  of  our  spiritual  lives  (Jer. 
15:16). 

3.  A  love  for  God’s  people  (1  John  3 : 14).  We 
become  like  those  with  whom  we  associate.  The 
first  and  “great”  command  is  twofold,  to  love 
God  and  to  love  man,  but  this  latter  does  not  mean 
to  love  the  sinful  ways  of  men.  We  should  love 
the  children  of  God  with  a  different  kind  of  love 


ceI  Cannot  Hold  Out — ■"  91 

and  to  a  different  degree  from  the  men  of  the 
world. 

4.  There  is  to  be  a  passing  ont  of  the  old  life 
(2  Cor.  5:17).  The  true  child  of  God  will  not 
willingly  nor  for  long  continue  to  associate  with 
his  former  sinful  companions.  He  may  go  with 
them,  circumstances  may  make  it  obligatory  for 
a  time,  but  he  will  not  indulge  in  their  sinful  prac¬ 
tices. 

5.  There  will  be  an  inward  conflict  with  sin 
(Romans  7:21-23).  The  more  we  become  “like 
him”  the  keener  will  become  our  sensitiveness  to 
sin.  When  we  were  “dead”  there  was  no  con¬ 
flict.  In  this  conflict  we  are  not  sinning  nor  sin¬ 
ners,  for  temptation  and  testing  are  not  sin,  but 
by  daily  overcoming  we  grow  in  grace  and' 
strength. 

6.  We  add:  living  a  life  of  victory  (Romans 
8:37;  1  Cor.  15:57).  The  “simple  life”  is  the 
answer  to  the  world’s  unrest  and  strife;  the 
“strenuous  life”  is  the  world’s  keynote  to  ma¬ 
terial  success;  but  the  “overcoming  life”  is  the 
answer  of  Christ  to  the  believer’s  weakness,  and 
the  assurance  of  his  full  and  glorious  victory  over 
the  world,  the  flesh  and  the  devil.  Anything  less 
would  be  a  reproach  upon  an  Almighty  God. 


92  Personal  Evangelism 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  necessary  in  order  that  we  may  know  that  we  are 
saved  ? 

2.  What  do  you  understand  men  to  mean  by  the  expression, 
“I  cannot  hold  out”?  Are  we  commanded  to  hold  out  at 
all? 

3.  Why  is  God,  so  to  speak,  under  obligations  to  keep  the 
believer? 

4.  Locate  and  quote  the  Scripture  that  shows  what  a  believer 
is  to  depend  upon  in  order  to  be  saved. 

5.  If  a  believer  commits  sin  what  is  he  to  do?  Give  Scrip¬ 
ture. 

6.  What  is  the  will  of  God  concerning  our  lives?  Quote 
Romans  8 :  37. 

7.  Explain  what  you  understand  by  repentance. 

8.  Quote  2  Timothy  1:12;  Jude  24,  and  1  Corinthians  10 : 13. 

9.  From  memory  relate  the  suggested  evidences  of  a  regen¬ 
erate  life. 


Chapter  VII 

Those  Who  Say:  “I  Have  Tried  and  Failed” 

Those  who  make  such  a  statement  are  among 
those  who  expect  to  be  saved  by  living  a  righteous 
life,  as  though  salvation  depended  upon  the  ques¬ 
tion  of  self-righteousness.  With  such  an  outlook 
we  can  see  how  easy  it  will  be  for  any  one  to  be¬ 
come  discouraged  over  the  consciousness  of  his 
sin. 

We  need  to  exercise  great  patience  with  those 
who  offer  this  difficulty.  More  will  be  gained,  we 
are  convinced,  by  avoiding  argument  than  by  at¬ 
tempting  to  show  a  man  that  he  has  never  been 
converted,  for  he  thinks  he  has  been,  at  any  rate. 
We  must  remember  that  it  is  not  easy  to  begin  to 
live  the  Christian  life.  One,  having  made  a  pro¬ 
fession,  may  make  a  mistake — commit  a  sin.  Keep 
clear  in  your  own  thinking  that  it  is  entirely  pos¬ 
sible  for  saved  men  to  sin.  David  and  Peter  are 
illustrations.  There  are  sins  not  unto  death. 

Jehovah  is  both  a  “  consuming  fire,  even  a  jeal¬ 
ous  God”  or  “a  merciful  God,”  depending  upon 
how  men  “take  heed”  either  to  obey  or  forget  his 
commands.  Moses  called  upon  heaven  to  witness 
against  Israel  if  they  forgot  Jehovah,  but  hastened 
to  reveal  his  mercy  if,  in  their  idolatry  or  the  af- 

93 


94  Personal  Evangelism 

fliction  due  to  their  disobedience,  they  would  seek 
God ;  adding  the  assurance  that  he  would  he  found 
if  sought  with  “all  thy  heart  and  soul”  (Deut. 
4:29). 


I:  SHOW  THE  POSSIBILITY  OF  SUCCESS 

1.  “It  is  as  difficult  to  teach  one  how  to  believe 
as  to  teach  him  how  to  love.  ’  ’  The  one  who  holds 
back  from  the  Christian  life  for  the  reason  above 
noted  is  saved  if  he  believes  (John  5:24;  Romans 
10:9-10).  The  reason  for  his  being  in  his  pro¬ 
fessed  present  state  is  due  to  his  failure  fully  to 
trust  Christ,  lack  of  prayer,  public  confession, 
Bible  study  or.  activity  in  the  Kingdom. 

“I  can  do  all  things  through  Christ  which 
strengtheneth  me”  (Phil.  4:13). 

2.  A  careful  study  of  such  cases  will  usually  re¬ 
veal  the  failure  to  be  due  to  carelessness  in  the 
discharge  of  Christian  duty,  or  else  to  the  wilful 
harboring  of,  or  indulgence  in,  known  sin. 

Constantly  emphasize  the  fact  that  for  the  be¬ 
liever  who  sins  there  is  a  way  of  cleansing  (1  John 
1:9).  Only  for  the  unrepentant  sinner  is  there  no 
escape  from  punishment. 

3.  Question  such  a  person  along  the  line  of  the 
discharge  of  his  Christian  duties  somewhat  as  fol¬ 
lows:  “Did  you  trust  Christ  absolutely  for  your 
salvation,  or  did  you  depend  upon  either  your  feel¬ 
ings  or  that  which  you  were  told  by  others?”  i.e., 


“I  Have  Tried  and  Failed” 


95 


did  yon  take  the  Word  of  God  for  your  assurance 
in  believing!  “Did  you  make  an  absolute  and 
complete  surrender  of  your  life  and  a  public  con¬ 
fession  of  your  faith!”  In  a  large  number  of 
cases  it  will  be  found  that  there  has  been  a  secret 
yielding  to,  or  indulgence  in,  sin  or  some  evil  prac¬ 
tice,  and  usually  that  there  has  not  been  a  con¬ 
tinuous  public  confession  of  faith.  “Did  you  live 
a  life  of  daily  prayer  and  Bible  study!”  and, 
finally,  “Did  you  maintain  an  active  campaign 
of  Christian  service!”  (1  Cor.  10:13). 

II :  HOW  TO  SUCCEED  IN  THE  CHRISTIAN  LIFE 

1.  Give  up  all  known  sin.  This  is  abolutely 
necessary,  but  one  does  not  have  to  do  the  giving 
up  of  sin  in  his  own  strength.  We  have  the  power 
of  Christ  as  our  instant  and  constant  help  (Phil. 
4:13,  4 : 19 ;  Heb.  7 :  25) .  No  matter  what  or  how 
great  the  sin — be  it  murder,  adultery,  theft,  un¬ 
cleanness,  “the  pride  of  the  eye”  or  “the  lust  of 
the  flesh,”  Christ  has  met  the  case.  What  he  has 
done  he  will  continue  to  do  (John  6:37;  Ps.  51, 
and  John  4).  The  penitent,  trusting  soul  is  sure 
of  welcome  and  aid. 

The  confession  of  sin  is  to  God  primarily.  It  is 
not  necessary  for  us  to  relate  all  of  the  gruesome 
details  in  public,  but  there  must  be  a  public  avowal 
of  the  general  fact  of  our  sinning  and  our  sin¬ 
fulness  (James  5 : 16). 


96  Personal  Evangelism 

2.  The  ability  to  win  over  any  and  all  sin  de¬ 
pends  upon  a  man’s  own  will  and  affections  (John 
5:  40,  7: 17).  If  men  will  turn  their  desires  over 
to  God  he  will  flood  their  lives  with  overcoming 
and  delivering  power,  at  the  same  time  giving 
them  keeping  strength  (Romans  6 : 12-14). 

It  will  be  better  to  lead  one  soul  to  a  clear  knowl¬ 
edge  of  success  in  Christian  living  than  to  deal  in 
a  slipshod  way  with  many  inquirers.  This  is  one 
of  the  great  advantages  of  doing  the  work  of  4 ‘Per¬ 
sonal  Evangelism.” 

3.  We  have  seen  many  4 ‘ rules  for  success,”  but 
the  following  quite  simple  ones  will  be  found 
helpful : 

(a)  Make  a  complete  surrender  of  the  life  to 
Christ  (Rom.  12 :  1,  14 :  20,  21) . 

(b)  Live  a  life  of  constant  daily  prayer,  in  an 
atmosphere  or  spirit  of  prayer,  as  well  as  audible 
participation  in  prayer  at  stated  periods  of  time 
(Luke  18:1). 

(c)  Constant,  daily  meditation  upon  the  Word  of 
God  (1  Peter  2:2;  2  Tim.  2:15;  Acts  17:11, 
20:32). 

(d)  Faithful  attendance  upon  church  services 
and  participation  in  its  ordinances  (Hebrews 
10:25;  Acts  2:41-47).  The  beginning  of  feeble¬ 
ness  in  the  lives  of  Christians  is  usually  to  be 
found  in  the  violation  of  this  and  the  rule  just 
preceding. 

(e)  Keep  busy  in  the  Kingdom  enterprises  and 


97 


“I  Have  Tried  and  Failed” 

for  the  glory  of  Christ  (John  1:41-43;  Matt. 
20:1-6).  Rust  reveals  idleness  and  uselessness. 
Idleness  is  the  devil’s  best  opportunity. 

4.  In  addition  to  these  there  should  be  the  re¬ 
fraining  from  questionable  amusements  and  pleas¬ 
ures.  This  needs  careful  and  tactful  emphasis 
with  young  people.  There  also  needs  to  be  the 
cultivation  of  the  habit  of  reading  good  wholesome 
religious  literature,  for  we  become  like  unto  that 
upon  which  we  feed. 

Christ  must  be  our  Lord  (One  who  controls)  as 
well  as  our  Savior.  He  must  direct  our  conduct, 
and  our  business  is  to  serve  him.  We  are  “  saved 
to  serve”  and  in  that  service  will  be  found  our 
greatest  safety.  “The  secret  of  the  believer’s  life 
of  victory  is  to  let  go  and  let  God.” — Paul  Rader. 
We  must  let  him  possess,  rule,  guide  and  control 
our  lives  ( Gal.  2:20,  6:14;  Col.  3 : 10-11 ) . 


QUESTIONS 

1.  Why  ought  we  to  avoid  argument  with  the  person  who 
says  that  “he  has  tried  and  failed”  ? 

2.  Who  is  the  saved  man  ?  Give  Scripture  to  prove. 

3.  What  are  the  chief  causes  for  failure  in  Christian  living? 

4.  How  would  you  examine  the  one  who  makes  this  reply? 

5.  Quote  the  Scripture  promises  for  the  one  who  sins. 

6.  What  is  the  secret  of  victory?  What  do  you  understand 
by  the  “Victorious  Life”? 

7.  In  your  own  language  state  fully  how  it  is  possible  to  live 
the  Victorious  Life. 


98  Personal  Evangelism 

8.  From  memory  state  the  five  rules  for  successful  Christian 
living. 

9.  Quote  Galatians  2 :  20 ;  1  Cor.  10 : 13,  and  Phil.  4 : 13 
and  19. 


Chapter  VIII 


Those  Who  Say:  £(The  Christian  Life  Is  Too 
Hard/’  or  “There  Is  Too  Much  to  Give  Up” 

We  have  considered  those  who  have  no  convic¬ 
tion  of  sin  and  do  not  seem  to  care  to  be  saved; 
those  who  are  convicted  of  sin  and  are  anxious  to 
be  saved  but  do  not  know  the  way  of  life.  There 
are  also  those  who  know  their  duty,  are  anxious 
to  be  saved,  but  hold  back  for  the  reason  above 
mentioned.  It  is  probable  that  they  are  lacking  in 
a  full  appreciation  of  spiritual  values  or  else  in 
will  power  to  do  their  duty. 

I:  PARTIALLY  PERSUADED 

1.  Every  person  who  makes  this  reply  at  once 
reveals  the  fact  that  he  knows  that  his  present 
position  is  a  wrong  one. 

The  young  man  who  came  to  Jesus  (Matt. 
19  :16-22)  was  well  satisfied  with  his  condition, 
complacent  in  his  self-righteousness  and  unwilling 
to  do  the  one  thing  required  to  have  eternal  life. 

2.  Such  a  person  needs  to  be  taught  that  unless 
he  changes  from  that  attitude  of  life  and  begins  at 
once  to  live  a  life  of  obedience  he  most  certainly 
will  perish(  Romans  6:23).  On  the  other  hand 

99 


100  Personal  Evangelism 

for  one  who  is  not  professing  to  live  the  Christian 
life  to  charge  God  with  being  a  hard  taskmaster 
is  both  unfair  and  untrue.  How  can  a  man  who 
has  not  tried  know! 

3.  The  fact  of  the  matter  is  that  the  man  him¬ 
self  is  following  the  hard  path  (Prov.  13:1-15). 
Knowing  themselves  to  be  wrong,  men  are  con¬ 
stantly  being  put  to  it  to  find  some  justification 
for  their  acts.  The  life  of  the  sinner  is  the  hard 
one,  filled  as  it  is  with  dangers,  deceits,  snares  and 
pitfalls.  Sin’s  ways  are  always  hard  ones  (Isa. 
57:21). 


II :  PEACE  AND  POWER 

t.  God  demands  that  the  sinner  shall  forsake 
his  ways  (Isa.  55:7).  He  is  not  left  to  his  feel¬ 
ings,  nor  can  he  dictate  terms,  but  God  never 
demands  the  impossible  (Phil.  4:19;  2  Cor. 
12:9,10).  God’s  power  makes  the  impossible 
(for  man)  possible. 

‘  ‘  The  Cross  that  he  gave  may  be  heavy, 

But  it  ne’er  outweighs  his  grace.” 

2.  The  path  of  obedience  is  the  path  to  power. 
The  path  of  wilful  disobedience  must  surely  end 
in  punishment  (Isa.  55 :  8-9 ;  Prov.  14:12). 

The  one  who  allows  the  Spirit  of  God  to  govern 
his  life  will  know  (John  7 : 17)  whether  or  not  the 


“The  Christian  Life  Is  Too  Hard”  101 

life  of  the  Christian  is  hard,  and  none  other  can 
know  (1  John  5:3;  Prov.  4:18). 


Ill:  THE  CHRISTIAN  LIFE  IS  ADDITION,  NOT 

SUBTRACTION 

1.  The  things  one  gives  np  are  only  the  hurtful 
ones.  That  which  is  gained  is  a  “  pearl  of  great 
price”;  surely  one  should  he  willing  to  give  np  the 
lesser  in  order  to  gain  that  which  is  of  the  greater 
value  (Dan.  10:11,12). 

The  question  of  amusements  will  have  much  to 
do  at  this  point.  Sympathy  with  the  pleasure  in¬ 
stincts,  especially  of  young  people,  is  imperative. 
Wholesale  condemnation  of  questionable  indul¬ 
gence  will  not  win  confidence. 

Pleasure  of  itself  is  not  wrong,  but  safety  and 
sanity  must  be  exercised  as  well  as  sympathy  ex¬ 
hibited.  We  shall  accomplish  more  by  wise  leader¬ 
ship,  restraint,  suggestion  and  careful  presenta¬ 
tion  of  the  truth  than  by  wholesale  condemnation. 
Make  a  careful  distinction  between  moral  wrong' 
and  spiritual  harm.  The  keen  edge  of  the  spiritual 
life  is  easily  dulled  by  contact  with  questionable 
practices. 

2.  Satan  always  raises  these  objections.  Avoid 
a  direct  issue  if  possible  by  presenting  the  positive 
side  of  the  Christian  life :  the  gift  of  eternal  life ; 
the  joy  of  companionship  with  Christ,  and  the 
peace  and  satisfaction  of  knowing  beyond  all  doubt 


102  Personal  Evangelism 

that  one’s  life  is  being  lived  aright  and  to  God’s 
glory. 

Do  not  discount  the  joy  of  worldly  pleasure. 
There  is  joy  there,  else  the  millions  of  earth  would 
not  be  following  that  path. 

But  there  is  a  greater  joy,  a  higher  and  holier 
one,  that  “needeth  not  to  be  repented  of,”  in 
Christianity.  This  joy  does  not  disturb  our  peace 
of  mind,  tear  down  character,  destroy  the  body 
nor  condemn  the  soul  (Gal.  5:  17-21;  2  Cor. 
6:14-18). 

3.  As  has  been  suggested  let  us  show  that  in  re¬ 
fusing  or  neglecting  to  make  a  decision  for  Christ 
one  chooses  the  wrong  (1  John  2:15;  Luke  13:3; 
Isa.  55:7). 

If  possible  let  us  get  men  to  see  the  greatness 
and  blessedness  of  the  way  of  faith  and  service  in 
the  Kingdom.  Offer  every  right  and  proper  pleas* 
ure  that  can  be  indulged  without  hurt  to  conscience 
or  dishonor  to  Christ.  Growth  in  the  spiritual  life, 
a  widening  apprehension  of  the  Light  of  Life  and 
a  deeper  fellowship  with  Christ  will  soon  settle  all 
of  these  questions. 

The  first  and  the  chief  thing  is  to  get  men  to 
believe  and  confess  that  they  may  have  eternal 
life.  The  compensations  God  offers  will  more  than 
make  up  for  all  one  may  lose  in  giving  up  sins 
or  questionable  practices  (Romans  8:28;  Phil. 
3:7-8). 


“The  Christian  Life  Is  Too  Hard ”  103 


QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  meant  by  an  “appreciation  of  spiritual  values”? 

2.  Why  is  the  path  of  disobedience  a  hard  one  to  follow? 

3.  What  does  God  demand  of  the  sinner? 

4.  Quote  three  passages  showing  how  a  person  may  know  if 
the  Christian  life  is  a  hard  one. 

5.  What  is  the  chief  difficulty  that  is  behind  those  who  make 
this  reply? 

6.  Can  we  set  up  ourselves  as  dictators  of  the  acts  and  prac¬ 
tices  of  the  lives  of  others?  Why? 

7.  What  danger  is  there  when  we  give  dogmatic  answers  to 
questions  as  to  what  is  proper  conduct? 

8.  What  is  to  be  our  attitude  regarding  pleasure? 

9.  To  what  joy  should  we  appeal?  Why? 

10.  What  is  meant  by  “the  compensations  God  offers”  ? 


Chapter  IX 


Those  Who  Say:  “I  Cannot  be  a  Christian  in 
My  Business — I  Will  Lose  My  Friends” 

It  is  a  fact  that  God  loves  sinful  men;  that 
Christ  died  for  the  ungodly,  and  that  salvation  is 
conditioned  upon  man’s  repentance,  unconditional 
surrender  and  childlike  faith. 

It  is  faith ,  not  historical,  but  rather  that  which 
accepts  the  fact  that  Christ  died  for  our  sins  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  Scriptures  that  is  required  by  God, 
to  the  end  that  salvation  may  become  possible  to 
him  that  believeth. 

But  for  one  to  prejudge  God’s  power  to  keep 
and  to  help  a  Christian  to  live  as  he  ought  to  live, 
or  the  results  that  are  to  come  after  one  has  be¬ 
lieved,  is  a  false  position  to  take,  and  one  that  is 
not  assumed  in  connection  with  any  other  decision 
of  life.  God’s  requirements  are  simple,  but  the 
most  simple  things  are  big  because  they  are  simple 
(Micah  6:8). 

i:  THE  TRUTH  OF  THIS  STATEMENT 

1.  So  far  as  some  forms  of  business  are  con¬ 
cerned,  there  is  much  truth  in  this  statement. 
While  God’s  power  to  save  is  limitless,  and  also 
his  keeping  power,  yet  he  does  demand  cleanness 

104 


ecI  Cannot  Be  a  Christian  in  My  Business33  105 

on  the  part  of  his  followers,  and  to  refuse  that  is 
to  be  disobedient  with  all  of  the  attendant  conse¬ 
quences  (Isa.  52 : 11). 

There  are  some  things  incompatible  with  Chris¬ 
tian  living.  Gambling  or  liquor  selling,  other  than 
for  legitimate  scientific  and  medicinal  uses,  would 
be  a  contradiction  for  the  professed  Christian 
(2  Cor.  6:16-17;  1  Cor.  10:31). 

2.  There  is,  however,  no  legitimate,  honorable 
line  of  commercial  activity,  if  honestly  followed, 
but  that  can  be  pursued  by  any  Christian. 

It  is  the  devil’s  lie  to  say  that  business  and 
Christian  living  are  not  compatible.  Of  course  a 
business  life  can  easily  so  consume  one’s  energy 
and  attention  as  seriously  to  hamper  his  Christian 
living. 

3.  If  one’s  business,  as  now  being  conducted,  is 
inimical  to  his  Christian  life,  then  his  duty  is  clear, 
viz.,  change  the  occupation.  How  many  saloon  men 
we  have  seen  who  walked  out  with  empty  hands, 
trusting  God,  but  leaving  their  nefarious  business. 
We  have  yet  to  see  one  such  whose  needs  have  not 
been  met  (Phil.  4:19).  They  may  not  have  con¬ 
tinued  to  have  all  the  luxuries  of  life,  but  their 
needs  have  been  met. 


ii  :  god’s  assurance 

1.  “A  man’s  life  consisteth  not  in  the  abun¬ 
dance  of  the  things  he  possesseth.”  God  does  not 


106  Personal  Evangelism 

promise  in  every  case  to  reimburse,  in  like  kind, 
the  man  who  gives  up  his  ill-gotten  prosperity, 
hut  he  does  promise  to  give  us  much  more  than 
we  have  had,  even  though  it  be  “with  persecu¬ 
tions’ ’  (Mark  10:29-30). 

The  great  question  of  profit  and  loss  (Mark 
8 :  36)  has  yet  to  be  settled.  No  man  can  gain  the 
whole  world  and  keep  his  soul.  Sam  Jones  is 
reported  once  to  have  said,  “No  man  can  possess 
$50,000  and  be  a  Christian.”  This  was  an  absurd 
statement,  but  one  that  is  true,  if  a  man  loves  that 
or  any  other  amount  of  money  more  than  God. 

To  gain  the  world  or  any  part  thereof  by  the 
non-Christian  method  of  violating  the  Golden  Rule 
(Matt.  7 : 12)  is  the  height  of  foolishness  (Mark 
8:36). 

2.  God  has  promised  to  care  for  his  own  (Phil. 
4:19;  Matt.  6:27-33)  and  the  world  has  yet  to 
record  any  failure  of  his  to  keep  his  promises 
(Ps.  37:25). 

Those  who  take  these  things  in  their  own  hands 
and,  being  prospered  in  material  things,  set  their 
store  upon  these  “things”  usually  either  lose 
them,  fail  to  be  able  to  enjoy  them  as  the  fruits 
of  their  labor,  or  else  live  to  see  them  dissipated 
by  wicked  and  careless  children. 

In  any  case  there  is  to  be  a  final  adjustment 
(Luke  12 : 16-21). 

The  Rich  Fool  could  carry  none  of  his  pelf  into 
eternity.  We  can  carry  our  money  to  the  bank 


“I  Cannot  Be  a  Christian  in  My  Business' 3  107 

but  not  into  the  grave.  All  that  is  to  be  of  value 
hereafter  will  be  that  which  we  have  done  in  this 
life  (Matt.  25:40-46). 


Ill:  FRIENDS,  FRIENDS  AND  THE  FRIEND 

“Who  can  tell  the  value  of  a  friend?”  “A 
man  is  known  by  the  friends  that  he  keeps.” 
“If  a  man  would  have  friends  he  must  show 
himself  friendly.” 

1.  The  enemies  of  God  are  unworthy  friends 
for  any  man.  Ofttimes  in  our  desire  to  be  a  “hale 
fellow,”  our  anxiety  to  be  popular,  we  compromise 
with  our  conscience.  Any  man  who  does  not  wish 
for  your  success  in  Christian  living  at  once  con¬ 
victs  himself  of  being  an  enemy  of  God  (James 
4:4),  and  no  professed  Christian  can  afford,  nor 
has  he  any  right,  to  continue  to  cultivate  that  sort 
of  friends,  not  if  he  values  his  soul. 

2.  But  the  friends  one  gains  among  Christians, 
the  companionship  he  has  with  Christ  and  Chris¬ 
tian  people,  are  more  than  a  compensation  for 
any  loss  he  may  sustain  by  parting  with  such 
false  friends.  Commit  to  memory  Psalm  1 : 1-2. 
It  is  better  far  to  have  the  “Friend  that  sticketh 
closer  than  a  brother”  (Prov.  18:24). 


108 


Personal  Evangelism 

QUESTIONS 


1.  After  accepting  the  fact  and  acting  by  faith  according  to 
God’s  plan,  what  will  be  the  result? 

2.  When  and  where  does  “feeling”  enter? 

3.  Quote  the  Scripture  showing  what  it  is  that  God  requires. 

4.  What  is  Paul’s  rule  as  to  Christian  conduct  ? 

5.  What  promise  can  you  offer  to  the  one  who  leaves  a  sinful 
business  life? 

6.  What  can  you  offer  to  the  person  who  has  to  make 
drastic  changes  in  his  methods  of  doing  business? 

7.  Will  a  man  really  lose  friends  by  becoming  a  Christian? 

8.  What  is  the  real  truth  of  this  statement? 

9.  What  assurance  do  we  have  to  offer  in  such  cases? 

10.  Are  Christians  to  cultivate  human  friendships?  Why? 

11.  What  does  the  Scripture  say  about  the  friendship  of  the 
world  ? 

12.  Quote  two  Scripture  references  under  each  of  the  separate 
headings  of  this  lesson. 


Chapter  X 


Those  Who  Are  Afraid  of  Ridicule  and 

Persecution 

Young  people  are  more  sensitive  to  ridicule  and 
scorn  than  any  others,  though  none  of  us  wel¬ 
comes  that  sort  of  treatment.  Not  to  indulge  in 
the  popular  practices  of  present-day  social  life  is 
to  incur  an  ostracism,  with  its  accompanying 
word  of  scorn,  which  affects  the  brightest  and 
most  influential,  as  well  as  the  seemingly  less 
ambitious  young  people.  Many  are  thus  being 
kept  out  of  the  Kingdom  (John  12:42-43). 

i:  BEGIN  EARLY 

1.  Early  conversion,  proper  training  and  a 
rounded  development  will  largely  anticipate  such 
an  answer  as  we  are  considering  by  preparing  our 
young  people  against  the  day  of  testing  and  ridi¬ 
cule  that  comes  to  every  one. 

However,  we  do  not  control  the  homes  of  the 
land,  hence  we  consider  the  youth  himself  who 
faces  this  question.  The  importance  of  having 
companions  who  are  helpful  calls  for  a  twofold 
decision,  first,  that  we  choose  that  sort  of  friends, 

109 


110  Personal  Evangelism 

the  choosing  of  which  will  convince  every  one  of 
our  sincerity,  and  second,  that  we  are  to  make  our 
decisions  so  as  to  become  leaders,  thereby  to  win 
our  friends  for  Christ.  In  this  matter  we  ought 
to  lead,  and  not  be  led. 

2.  A  full  realization  of  one’s  own  spiritual  con¬ 
dition,  or  as  has  been  said,  a  right  estimate  of 
spiritual  values,  ought  soon  to  convince  any  one 
that  he  cannot  long  continue  in  companionship 
with  those  who  have  no  concern  about,  or  are 
opposed  to,  a  life  of  faith  in  Christ.  To  be  com¬ 
placent  in  such  company  and  not  to  bear  witness 
is  to  betray  a  serious  lack  in  the  quality  of  our 
faith  (Matt.  10 :  32-33 ;  2  Cor.  6 : 17) . 


II :  WE  ARE  NOT  TO  FEAR  THE  FACE  OF  MAN 

1.  We  must  not  treat  this  excuse  lightly,  for 
often  the  bravest  physical  hero  will  easily  crumple 
up  when  morally  tested.  Moral  and  spiritual  cour¬ 
age  are  quite  different  from  the  physical. 

Try  to  show  that  the  fear  of  man  is  fatal  (Prov. 
29:25)  and  that  the  popular  hero  of  to-day  is  most 
often  the  discarded  idol  of  to-morrow.  Fear,  as 
the  governing  factor  in  our  lives,  of  the  opinions 
of  the  enemies  of  God,  is  the  sure  and  fatal  road 
which  leads  our  lives  into  a  snare  and  to  defeat 
(Prov.  13 : 20). 

2.  There  is  the  added  danger  of  the  fear  of 
man  that  was  suggested  by  the  Master  in  Luke 


Those  Who  Are  Afraid  of  Ridicule  111 

12:4-5.  Here  we  are  shown  whom  to  fear.  “  Serve 
God  acceptably  with  reverence  and  godly  fear.” 
The  fear  of  God  is  not  cringing  abjectness  but  is 
reverential  and  full  of  holy  boldness. 

3.  Do  not  deny  the  fact  that  we  are  to  expect 
persecution  (Mark  10:29-30).  Show  rather  that 
persecution  is  to  be  expected  (2  Tim.  3: 12).  All 
who  earnestly  and  in  all  sincerity  seek  to  live  the 
Christian  life  will  suffer  some  sort  of  persecution, 
petty  or  otherwise. 

hi:  IT  IS  HONORABLE  TO  BE  PERSECUTED 

1.  The  world  delights  to  honor  those  who  have 
passed  through  the  dark  days  of  great  persecution 
and  trial  and  have  come  off  victorious.  It  is  a 
great  honor  to  have  served  some  great  man  in  the 
days  of  his  obscurity  and  testing;  thus  the  early 
disciples  looked  upon  their  testing.  They  thought 
it  a  great  honor  and  a  privilege  to  be  considered 
worthy  of  such  trials  and  testings  (Acts  5:  40-42). 

2.  Christ  has  set  before  us  most  clearly  what  it 
means  to  suffer  with  him  (Matt.  5: 10-12),  but  let 
us  be  sure  that  what  we  think  is  persecution  is 
indeed  and  in  truth  “for  righteousness’  sake.” 
Ofttimes  these  things  come  upon  us  as  the  result 
of  our  bad  conduct. 

3.  The  satisfaction  that  results  from  duty  well 
performed  (Matt.  25 :  21)  is  never  to  be  compared 
with  anything  that  is  offered  by  disobedience.  The 


112  Personal  Evangelism 

approval  of  those  whose  ridicule  we  fear  is  not 
always  to  be  won  by  our  compromise;  more  fre¬ 
quently  we  arouse  their  contempt :  then  too  their 
praise  is  too  often  but  u ashes  of  gold”;  once  we 
gain  their  approval  it  is  soon  lost. 

The  approval  of  the  King  surpasses  that  of  the 
slave  (2  Tim.  2:12). 

4.  There  is  also  the  strong  possibility,  even 
probability,  that  the  one  who  makes  this  reply  can 
win  his  companions  if  he  will  boldly  and  cour¬ 
ageously  come  out  on  the  side  of  Christ.  Such  a 
prospect  ought  to  be  enough  to  arouse  the  en¬ 
deavor  of  all  right-minded  ones,  especially  the 
young. 

The  ambition,  born  in  every  normal  person,  to 
become  a  leader,  is  often  quickened  and  led  to 
great  activity  by  taking  the  first  step  of  open  and 
avowed  decision  for  Christ  that  is  thus  displayed. 
The  feared  ridicule  and  persecution  were  only 
threatened — not  real.  More  often  they  will  not 
materialize  at  all  or  will  be  lost  in  admiration  and 
praise.  Ridicule  is  also  often  lost  even  though  our 
companions  do  not  follow  with  us.  A  real  friend 
never  wishes  us  anything  but  good,  nor  does  he 
try  to  influence  us  to  evil. 

5.  We  ought  also  to  show  that  there  is  the 
promise  of  great  reward  to  those  who  are  the 
“ overcomers”  (2  Tim.  2:12;  Rev.  2:7,  11,  17; 
3:5, 12,  21). 


Those  Who  Are  Afraid  of  Ridicule  113 


QUESTIONS 

1.  Why  do  you  think  young  people  are  more  sensitive  to 
ridicule  than  older  ones? 

2.  Why  is  it  not  possible  to  live  a  life  of  compromise? 

3.  What  is  meant  by  the  fear  of  man? 

4.  Why  should  we  fear  the  evil  one? 

5.  What  do  you  understand  by  godly  fear? 

6.  What  is  the  usual  effect  when  we  take  a  clear-cut  stand 
for  the  right? 

7.  What  reward  awaits  those  who  suffer  for  Christ’s  sake? 

8.  What  persecutions  really  do  come  because  of  such  de¬ 
cisions  ? 

9.  To  what  ambition  may  we  appeal  in  urging  young  people 
to  accept  and  confess  Christ? 

10.  Quote  Proverbs  29 :  25 ;  Matthew  10 :  32,  33,  and  Romans 
10 :  9, 10. 


PART  THREE:  DIFFICULTIES 

(Concluded) 


PART  THREE:  DIFFICULTIES 

(Concluded) 

Chapter  I 

“I  Have  Not  Enough  Feeling” 

i:  WRONG  SEEKING 

Strangely  enough  for  those  who  make  this  reply 
to  the  personal  evangelist  there  is  a  passage  of 
Scripture  which  seems  to  have  been  especially 
written  to  suit  their  case. 

“And  ye  shall  seek  me ,  and  find  me ,  when  ye 
shall  search  for  me  with  all  your  heart”  ( Jer . 
29:13). 

This  passage  tells  us  plainly  when  men  will  find 
Christ  but,  like  all  other  Scriptural  promises,  it 
has  a  condition,  in  this  case  only  one,  viz.,  a  whole¬ 
hearted  devotion  to  the  search. 

1.  The  trouble  with  many  who  talk  after  this 
manner  is  that  they  are  seeking  some  peculiar  and 
previously  conceived  physical  or  mental  experi¬ 
ence  rather  than  the  finding  of  him,  a  person. 
Or,  they  are  looking  for  a  duplication  in  their 
lives  of  that  experience  thiough  which  they  have 
heard  others  tell  of  passing. 

There  are  no  two  introductory  experiences 

117 


118  Personal  Evangelism 

exactly  alike.  Sometimes  we  are  formally  intro¬ 
duced  to  people,  while  at  other  times  we  are  sur¬ 
prised  by  the  unexpectedness  or  the  informal 
manner  by  which  we  meet  them.  Few  of  us  can 
remember  the  details.  Still,  the  chief  thing  is  the 
fact  that  we  have  met  and  have  become  acquainted. 

So  it  is  in  the  matter  of  conversion.  Men  are 
not  saved  by  the  fact  of  some  formal  or  finished 
method  whereby  they  meet  or  accept  Christ;  we 
are  not  saved  because  we  experience  the  same  sen¬ 
sations,  say  the  same  words  or  meet  Christ  under 
the  same  conditions  that  others  meet  him  and  are 
saved. 

The  main  question  is,  “Are  you  ready  to  seek 
him  with  the  whole  heart  V’  If  so,  the  real  ac¬ 
ceptance  will  soon  follow. 

2.  It  is  well,  in  this  connection,  to  remind  such 
an  objector  that  there  is  one  who  is  seeking  him 
(Luke  19:10,  15:3-19).  It  is  never  long  before 
the  seeking  Savior  and  the  seeking  sinner  meet. 

The  parable  of  the  Prodigal  Son  (Luke  15)  is  a 
good  illustration  in  point.  The  Savior  seeking 
the  lost  sheep  (Matt.  18:12  and  John  10)  is  an¬ 
other  good  illustration. 

3.  Having  thus  presented  the  truth  and  located 
the  real  trouble,  we  need  to  show  to  such  objectors 
the  simple  plain  plan  of  salvation  as  suggested  in 
Part  One,  Chapter  VIII,  also  in  Part  Two,  Chap¬ 
ter  III. 

The  DeviPs  order  is  feeling,  fact  and  faith, 


119 


“I  Have  Not  Enough  Feeling ” 

whereas  God’s  order  is  first  fact,  faith  and  then 
feeling.  A  recognition  of  the  fact  of  onr  need, 
faith  in  the  plan  of  salvation — the  finished  work 
of  Christ — and  then  we  may  look  for  the  resultant 
feeling .  It  is  our  duty  to  believe  with  the  heart 
and  to  confess  with  the  mouth  (Romans  10:  9, 10) 
and  leave  the  feelings  to  God. 

II :  HOW  TO  SEEK 

1.  The  seeker  must  come  as  he  is ,  repentant  it 
is  true  for  the  condition  in  which  he  finds  himself, 
and,  throwing  himself  unreservedly  upon  the 
mercy  and  grace  of  God,  trusting  him  for  salva¬ 
tion  (not  for  feelings),  and  be  willing  to  accept  the 
gift  of  eternal  life  from  his  hands. 

To  follow  any  other  method  is  but  an  evidence 
of  a  desire  on  man’s  part  to  do  something  which  he 
thinks  will  be  of  value  in  the  sight  of  God. 

The  joy  and  peace  which  Christians  tell  about  is 
the  result  of  coming  to  Christ — duty  well  per¬ 
formed — and  no  result  can  be  expected  until  we  do 
come.  It  is  not  our  sorrow  that  saves,  but  our 
turning  from  sin  (Isa.  55:7;  John  1:12;  Acts 
16:31;  Acts  2:38). 

2.  Often  the  difficulty  in  such  cases  grows  out 
of  the  lack  of  any  real  conviction  of  sin.  Hence  it 
will  be  wise  to  use  those  passages  and  that  method 
that  will  produce  such  a  conviction  of  sin.  See 
Part  One,  Chapters  VIII  and  IX. 


120 


Personal  Evangelism 

QUESTIONS 


1.  What  passage  of  Scripture  seems  to  have  been  written  for 
such  cases  as  are  being  considered  in  this  lesson  ? 

2.  What  is  it  that  such  persons  are  so  often  looking  for? 

3.  What  then  is  the  main  question? 

4.  What  Scripture  can  you  quote  which  reveals  the  opposite 
side  of  this  matter? 

5.  What  is  the  difference  between  the  Devil’s  and  God’s 
order  in  the  matter  of  feeling? 

6.  What  is  man’s  duty  ?  Quote :  Romans  10 :  9,  10. 

7.  Out  of  what  does  Christian  joy  grow? 

8.  Quote  Isa.  55:7;  John  1 : 12,  and  Acts  16 :  31. 


Chapter  II 

“Inconsistent  Christians” 

We  are  all  quite  fond  of  advancing  the  thought 
that  men  ought  to  judge  Christianity  only  by  a 
study  of  the  life  and  teachings  of  Christ,  and  not 
by  the  life  and  actions  of  his  followers.  Still,  we 
cannot  escape  the  fact  that  Christ  is  being  judged 
by  those  who  profess  to  be  his  followers,  and  why 
not? 


“Even  as  the  Father  hath  sent  me,  so  send 
I  you” — 

“Ambassador  of  Christ” — 

Such  passages  suggest  the  close  and  intimate 
personal  relation  of  the  believer  with  Christ. 
Even  as  Jesus  was  a  living  revelation  of  God, 
so  we  are,  and  of  a  right  should  be — the  repre¬ 
sentatives  of  our  Master. 

I:  JUDGING  CHRISTIANS 

1.  It  is  well  to  admit  at  the  outset  that  there 
are  hypocrites  in  the  church.  This  may  somewhat 

surprise  the  objector,  but  you  are  also  to  express 

121 


122  Personal  Evangelism 

your  sorrow  and  show  him  that  such  people  are 
objects  of  contempt  by  all  thoroughgoing  Chris¬ 
tians,  and  that  efforts  are  constantly  being  made 
to  reveal  and  dislodge  them. 

However,  a  counterfeit  is  evidence  of  real  value, 
for  men  do  not  seek  to  imitate  that  which  is  of  no 
value,  and  the  greater  the  value  the  more  per¬ 
sistent  and  constant  the  efforts  being  made  to  pro¬ 
duce  a  counterfeit. 

The  Apostle  James  tells  us  that  the  hypocrite 
in  reality  deceives  only  himself  and  others  not  at 
all  (James  1 :  22). 

2.  The  fact  that  there  are  hypocrites  in  busi¬ 
ness,  in  the  lodges,  in  politics  and  in  every  other 
relation  of  life  is  not  given  as  an  excuse  for 
keeping  ourselves  aloof  from  such  relations. 
Because  there  are  false  weights  does  not  pre¬ 
vent  our  using  scales;  nor  does  the  circulation 
of  counterfeit  money  prevent  our  using  the 
coinage  of  the  land. 

Every  man  must  give  an  account  of  himself,  not 
of  the  hypocrite,  before  God  (Rom.  14: 12,  2: 1-6; 
Matt.  7:1-5). 

Such  an  objector  has  no  right  to  pass  judgment 
upon  others,  for  God  will  hold  them  responsible 
for  their  lives  quite  independently  of  the  life  of 
the  objector  (Rom.  2:21-23).  When  the  objector 
comes  to  examine  his  own  conduct  it  not  infre¬ 
quently  happens  that  he  is  guilty  of  the  very  thing 
of  which  he  is  accusing  the  others. 


“Inconsistent  Christians ” 


123 


3.  For  the  objector  to  suggest  that  church  mem¬ 
bers  do  things  that  he  would  not  do  reveals  a  proud 
heart,  one  that  is  either  not  willing  to  let  Christ 
rule,  or  else  one  that  is  trying  to  justify  its  own 
conduct  by  hiding  behind  the  weakness  of  some 
one  else. 

Furthermore,  we  are  taught  to  “seek  first  the 
kingdom  of  God  and  his  righteousness”  (Matt. 
6:33).  Man  is  not  justified  in  the  sight  of  God 
by  what  he  may  do  nor  by  the  delinquencies  of 
others — only  by  virtue  of  the  righteousness  of 
Christ.  Judged  by  that  standard  we  “have  all 
come  short.” 


II :  OUR  PATTERN 

1.  Christ,  and  not  any  church  member,  is  to  be 
the  model  after  whom  we  are  all  to  pattern  our 
lives. 

Something  of  this  difficulty  must  have  been  in 
the  mind  of  Peter  when  he  questioned  the  Master 
(John  21:21,22)  and  the  Master  replied,  “What 
is  that  to  thee?  Follow  thou  me.”  See  also 
Matt.  23 : 10  and  Jer.  2:  5. 

There  is  another  side  to  this  matter.  Why 
should  we  overlook  all  the  virtues  of  men  and 
dwell  upon  the  faults  of  these  professed  Chris¬ 
tians?  The  point  of  a  needle  can  put  out  the  sight 
of  the  sun.  It  is  more  profitable  to  see  virtue  than 
to  look  for  vice  (Phil.  4 :  8,  9).  God  will  attend  to 


124  Personal  Evangelism 

the  necessary  separation  and  punishment  of  the 
offenders  (Matt.  24:50,51). 

2.  The  objector  may  add  that  Christians  have 
wronged  him.  Remind  any  such  of  the  fact  that 
that  has  nothing  to  do  with  God’s  dealings  with 
him  (Micah  6:3,  also  Isa.  5:3,4).  God’s  treat¬ 
ment  of  him  has  been  faultless,  and  the  unde¬ 
served  daily  blessings  received  are  designed  to 
lead  him  to  repentance  (Romans  2:4). 

QUESTIONS 

1.  Why  have  men  the  right  to  judge  Christ  by  observing 
Christians  and  their  conduct? 

2.  Why  is  it  wise  to  agree  with  this  objection? 

3.  What  is  it  that  men  seek  to  counterfeit? 

4.  Who  is  deceived,  the  hypocrite  or  those  who  are  observing 
him? 

5.  To  whom  must  all  men  give  an  account  of  their  lives? 
Give  Scripture  to  back  your  answer. 

6.  Why  has  the  objector  no  right  to  sit  in  judgment? 

7.  Quote  Matthew  6:33;  James  1 :  22,  and  Micah  6 :  3. 

8.  How  can  you  answer  the  one  who  says  that  his  conduct 
is  better  than  that  of  many  church  members? 

9.  Is  it  ever  wise  to  look  for  virtue  rather  than  for  vice? 
Give  the  reason  for  your  answer. 

10.  How  may  we  answer  the  person  who  says  that  Christians 
have  wronged  him? 


Chapter  III 


“It  Is  Too  Late — I  Have  Sinned  Away  the 

Day  of  Grace” 

Not  always  is  the  objection  here  mentioned  due 
to  an  intellectual  difficulty.  Frequently  it  will 
arise  because  of  a  poor  digestion,  a  general  state 
of  bad  health,  or  a  morbid  temperament  and  too 
much  introspection. 

While  it  is  always  wise  to  examine  self,  still  it  is 
exceedingly  unwise  continually  to  dwell  upon  that 
examination  once  we  know  the  tap  root  of  our  diffi¬ 
culty,  and  in  nearly  every  case  we  will  find  that 
that  tap  root  is  unbelief.  The  patient  who  is 
always  studying  symptoms  will  certainly  find  that 
there  is  something  the  matter. 

Prayerful,  sympathetic  counsel  and  reason,  and 
a  forceful  presentation  of  the  promises  of  God  will 
usually  suffice  in  the  treatment  of  these  cases. 

1:  TRY  TO  FIND  OUT  WHAT  THE  INQUIRER  MEANS  BY 

THIS  STATEMENT 

Generally  his  ideas  are  most  hazy,  and  it  is  our 
business  to  seek  to  clarify  his  thinking. 

1.  Usually  the  inquirer  has  an  idea  that  he 
has  passed  a  given  place,  like  4 ‘Past  Eedemption 

125 


126  Personal  Evangelism 

Point”  at  Niagara,  and  that  he  has  sinned  so 
grievously,  wilfully  and  persistently  that  all  there 
is  ahead  of  him  is  to  meet  death,  at  the  falls,  as 
it  were. 

To  meet  this  we  must  make  clear  such  a  passage 
as  that  recorded  in  Genesis  6 :  3,  which  refers  not 
to  a  cessation  of  the  work  of  the  Spirit  of  God 
with  man  as  an  individual,  but  rather  is  dealing 
with  the  continuation  and  not  the  cutting  oft  of 
the  race.  The  length  of  an  individual  life  is  not 
the  question,  and  the  verse  and  its  context  seem 
to  indicate  ‘  Ghat  nothing  but  a  cessation  of  the 
human  race  would  put  an  end  to  the  striving  of 
the  Spirit.” — Evans. 

2.  Such  passages  as  Hebrews  6 :  4-6  and  10 :  26 
are  often  so  quoted  as  to  bolster  up  the  idea  we 
have  before  us.  If  we  read  the  first  passage  care¬ 
fully  according  to  the  Revised  Version  we  will 
see  that  it  does  not  indicate  an  utter  impossibility 
of  being  renewed,  but  rather  the  impossibility  of 
such  renewal  while  “they  crucify  to  themselves 
the  Son  of  God  afresh.”  It  is  while  so  doing  that 
the  impossibility  arises. 

Again  (10:26)  if  a  man  who  has  once  seen  the 
cross  of  Christ  as  the  only  hope  of  his  salvation 
shall  then  deliberately  turn  away,  there  is  “no 
other,”  or  “any  more”  (or  another)  sacrifice  for 
sin.  There  is  no  other  place  to  turn. 

3.  Likewise  in  Hebrews  12 : 17  men  sometimes 
are  led  to  infer  that  a  man  may  reach  a  point 


127 


“It  Is  Too  Late " 

where  he  cannot  repent  and  turn  to  God.  Let  it 
be  clearly  understood  that  this  verse  in  no  way 
is  referring  to  a  man’s  relation  to  God,  but  rather 
to  Esau’s  inability  to  change  his  father’s  mind 
with  reference  to  the  stolen  blessing.  This  is  an 
example  of  the  danger  of  taking  a  passage  out  of 
its  context. 

II :  SHOW  THE  INQUIRER  THE  WELCOME  HE  WILL 

RECEIVE  IN  CHRIST 

1.  Perhaps  the  best  passage  to  use  with  such 
people  is  John  6 :  37 : 

“All  that  the  Father  giveth  me  shall  come  to 
me;  and  him  that  cometh  to  me  1  will  in  no  wise 
cast  out.” 

It  may  be  necessary  to  repeat  this  promise 
many,  many  times  and  perhaps  over  a  long  period 
of  time  until  it  is  really  sensed  and  appropriated. 

Kindly,  lovingly,  but  persistently  dwell  upon 
the  idea  of  the  readiness  of  God  to  receive,  and 
press  the  question,  “Have  you  been  to  Christ  for 
forgiveness?”  or,  “Did  Jesus  cast  you  out?” 

No  man  has  the  right  to  set  forth  the  claim  that 
it  is  too  late,  or  that  he  has  sinned  away  the  day 
of  grace,  unless  he  has  honestly  and  whole¬ 
heartedly  gone  to  Christ  for  forgiveness.  The 
world  has  yet  to  see  that  man  who,  having  thus 
gone,  has  been  cast  out  unforgiven. 

2.  Another  most  excellent  passage  is  to  be 


128  Personal  Evangelism 

found  in  Revelation  22 : 17,  and  still  another  in 
Romans  10 : 13.  In  this  connection  we  ought  to 
dwell  upon  the  ‘ 1  whosoever.  ’  ’  Whosoever  will  and 
whosoever  shall  call.  Challenge  him,  his  will  and 
his  call. 


Ill :  A  WRONG  INTERPRETATION  OF  PROVERBS  1  I  24-31 

1.  Here  we  must  go  back  to  the  preceding  verses 
where  admonition  is  being  given  to  the  “son” 
(v.  10)  and  where  “wisdom”  (v.  20)  is  crying  in 
the  streets  to  those  who  are  the  “foolish” 
(simple)  ones.  It  was  not  too  late  for  such  to 
turn,  on  the  contrary,  it  was  the  proper  time,  but 
they  were  calling  from  wrong  motives. 

Over  against  this  read  such  passages  as  2  Cor¬ 
inthians  6 :  2  and  Hebrews  4 :  7.  An  interesting 
sidelight  will  be  found  in  Deuteronomy  4 :  29-31. 

2.  The  case  of  Manasseh  (2  Chron.  33:1-13)  is 
a  good  illustration  of  the  continued  grace  extended 
if  the  offended  but  humbles  himself  before  Grod. 
See  also  the  story  of  the  Prodigal  (Luke  15).  The 
thief  on  the  cross  (Luke  23:  39-43)  also  illustrates 
how  a  vile  sinner,  even  in  the  hour  of  death,  may 
be  saved. 


QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  the  most  frequent  cause  of  this  difficulty? 

2.  What  is  needed  in  treating  most  of  these  cases? 

3.  What  is  it  that  the  inquirer  usually  thinks  he  has  done? 


“It  Is  Too  Late ” 


129 


4.  In  your  own  language  explain  Genesis  6 : 3. 

5.  What  is  it  that  the  writer  to  the  Hebrews  seems  to  have  in 
mind  in  chapter  6 :  4-6  ?  In  chapters  10 :  26  and  12 : 17  % 

6.  What  should  we  endeavor  to  show  to  such  inquirers  ? 

7.  Quote  John  6:37. 

8.  When  can  a  man  claim  the  right  to  say  that  God  will 
not  accept  him? 

9.  Quote  Revelation  22 : 17  and  Romans  10 : 13. 

10.  What  is  the  correct  interpretation  of  Proverbs  1 :  24-31  ? 

11.  Locate  and  name  three  good  Scriptural  illustrations  which 
can  be  used  in  connection  with  cases  under  this  classi¬ 
fication. 


Chapter  IV 

The  Unpardonable  Sin 

Much  unwarranted  discussion  has  been  offered 
on  this  question.  Some  evangelists  have  used  it 
as  a  catch  question,  a  discussion  of  which  often 
served  to  augment  their  congregations  by  attract¬ 
ing  the  morbidly  curious,  or  those  who  are  argu¬ 
mentatively  inclined. 

It  is  really  a  simple  question  if  men  but  take 
God’s  word  at  its  face  value,  not  trying  to  make 
the  language  say  other  than  the  commonly  ac¬ 
cepted  meaning  of  the  words. 

While  closely  related  to  the  subject  of  the  last 
chapter,  still  it  is  different,  though  the  treatment 
is  very  much  the  same. 

i:  FIND  OUT  WHAT  THE  INQUIRER  MEANS  BY  THE 

UNPARDONABLE  SIN 

1.  It  almost  seems  as  though  we  have  to  deal 
with  an  undefinable  thing  for  so  few  men  seem  to 
have  any  clear  idea  of  what  this  sin  is. 

Frequently  the  ideas  of  men  along  this  line  grow 
out  of  a  misunderstanding  of  the  words  recorded 
in  Matthew  12 :  31,  32.  Read  this  passage  care¬ 
fully  and  at  the  same  time  the  parallel  passage 

130 


The  Unpardonable  Sin  131 

found  in  Mark  3:28-30,  especially  Mark’s  added 
words  in  verse  thirty. 

This  passage  clearly  teaches  that  there  is  a  sin 
that  is  unpardonable,  but  that  sin  is  blasphemy 
against  the  Holy  Spirit.  That  blasphemy  consists 
in  deliberately  attributing  to  the  devil  the  work 
known  to  have  been  performed  by  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Now,  ask  the  inquirer  if  he  has  been  guilty  of 
such  an  offense.  So  far  as  the  writer’s  knowledge 
goes,  he  has  never  known  a  single  person,  or  heard 
of  a  single  one,  who  has  thus  deliberately  blas¬ 
phemed  against  the  Holy  Spirit. 

2.  Another  passage  that  often  tends  to  confuse 
men’s  thoughts  in  this  matter  is  1  John  5:16. 
This  must  be  read  carefully  according  to  the  Re¬ 
vised  Version  which  leaves  out  the  word  “a”  en¬ 
tirely,  reading  thus:  “ There  is  sin  unto  death.” 
Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  these  words  do  not  refer 
to  a  specific  sin  for  the  committing  of  which  there 
is  to  be  no  forgiveness.  Indeed  the  implication 
seems  to  be  rather  that  it  refers  to  a  state  and  not 
a  particular  act  or  sin. 

3.  The  fact  that  the  inquirer  is  concerned 
enough  to  talk  about  the  condition  of  his  soul,  or 
is  professedly  anxious  to  be  saved,  is,  of  itself, 
evidence  that  no  such  a  hardening  process  of  the 
sin  of  rejection,  such  as  Pharaoh  experienced,  has 
taken  place  in  the  life  of  the  inquirer. 

Therefore,  it  will  he  well  to  get  his  mind  off 
the  question  of  the  unpardonable  sin  as  soon  as 


132  Personal  Evangelism 

possible,  and  turn  his  attention  to  these  passages 
which  promise  forgiveness  for  4 ‘all  manner  of  sin 
and  blasphemy.  ’  ’ 

II :  HOLD  OUT  FORGIVENESS  FOR  4  4  ALL  MANNER  OF  SIN 

AND  BLASPHEMY” 

1.  Perhaps  the  best  passage  for  ns  to  nse  is 
John  6:  37,  the  last  clause  in  particular. 

“And  him  that  cometh  to  me  1  will  in  no  wise 
cast  out.” 

Kindly,  but  persistently,  keep  before  the  mind 
of  the  inquirer  the  question,  “Have  you  been  to 
Jesus?”  and,  “Did  he  cast  you  out?”  Dr.  R.  A. 
Torrey  relates  the  following:  A  man  was  once 
sent  to  me  who  was  in  the  depths  of  despair.  He 
had  attempted  suicide  some  five  times.  He  felt 
that  he  had  sinned  away  the  day  of  grace  and 
committed  the  unpardonable  sin,  and  that  the  devil 
had  entered  him  as  he  did  Judas  Iscariot.  Day 
after  day  I  used  John  6 :  37.  To  every  excuse  and 
difficulty  I  would  simply  say,  “Jesus  says,  4 Him 
that  cometh  to  me  I  will  in  no  wise  cast  out.’  ” 
At  last  I  asked  him,  “Do  you  believe  the  Bible?” 
He  replied,  “Yes.”  “Well,”  I  said,  “did  not 
Jesus  say,  4  Him  that  cometh  to  me  I  will  in  no 
wise  cast  out?’  ”  4 4 Yes,”  he  replied.  I  said, 

4 4 Will  you  come?”  The  man  fell  back  on  the 
unpardonable  sin,  that  he  was  possessed  by  a  devil, 
but  finally,  with  weak  faith  and  great  hesitation, 


133 


The  Unpardonable  Sin 

repeating  the  words  of  prayer  placed  in  his  month 
by  Dr.  Torrey,  and  standing  solely  and  simply  on 
the  naked  word  of  God,  he  came  out  of  the  struggle 
a  victor. 

2.  The  passage  found  in  Hebrews  6 : 4-6  is  ad¬ 
dressed  to  apostatizing  Jews  who  had  renounced 
Christ  and  gone  back  to  Judaism  and  not  merely 
those  who  had  sinned,  but  those  who  had  “fallen 
away,”  clearly  and  definitely  renounced  and  de¬ 
nounced  Christ. 

On  the  other  hand  read  1  Timothy  1 : 15, 16,  then 
1 : 13.  This  reveals  how  Paul,  though  he  was  a 
blasphemer  and  the  chief  of  sinners,  yet  found 
pardon  and  abundant  forgiveness. 

Paul’s  forgiveness  is  an  exhortation  to  all  who 
see  their  sinfulness  and  the  awful  sin  of  blas¬ 
phemy,  to  turn  to  the  Lord  “with  the  whole 
heart,”  and  they  will  find  that  “he  will  in  no  wise 
cast  out.” 

Sin  is  unpardonable  only  when  persistently  in¬ 
dulged,  and  of  which  man  never  repents. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  Why  is  this  question  of  the  unpardonable  sin  so  frequently 
projected  into  the  minds  of  the  people? 

2.  In  your  own  language  state  the  meaning  of  Matt.  12 :  31, 
32,  out  of  which  so  much  confusion  grows. 

3.  What  is  it  that  the  Revised  Version  shows  that  John  really 

had  in  mind  in  writing  1  John  5:16? 

4.  What  is  the  great  evidence  in  the  life  of  the  inquirer  which 


134  Personal  Evangelism 

goes  to  show  that  he  Las  not  committed  the  unpardonable 
sin? 

5.  What  should  we  early  strive  to  accomplish  in  his  thinking? 

6.  Quote  John  6 :  37. 

7.  To  what  class  is  Hebrews  6 :  4-6  addressed  ? 

8.  What  suggestion  does  Paul  make  that  will  be  helpful  in 
this  matter? 

9.  Quote  1  Timothy  1 : 15. 

10.  When  is  sin  really  unpardonable? 


Chapter  V 

“God  Is  Unjust  and  Cruel” 

Manifestly  we  cannot  fully  discuss  the  whole 
subject  of  future  punishment  within  the  short  com¬ 
pass  of  this  chapter. 

Those  who  hesitate  to  become  followers  of 
Christ  upon  the  grounds  above  mentioned  do  so 
in  spite  of  the  invitations  of  the  Scriptures,  and 
always  with  a  shallow  knowledge  of  what  the  Bible 
teaches  on  this  subject. 

I:  THE  BIBLE  TEACHING 

1.  The  Bible  alone  gives  us  satisfactory  hope 
as  to  the  future,  and  the  only  true  conception  of 
the  character  of  God.  In  it  we  see  him  as  “love” 
(1  John  4:8)  and  also  as  a  “consuming  fire” 
(Heb.  12:29).  A  combination  of  these  two  ideas 
is  set  forth  in  2  Peter  3 : 9,  where  he  is  revealed 
as  being  both  loving  and  just. 

The  fullest  and  most  impressive  revelation  we 
have  of  the  place  of  future  punishment  comes 
from  the  lips  of  the  Savior.  Take  his  language 
as  symbolical  and  its  suggestiveness  is  too  awful 
to  contemplate.  Take  him  literally,  and  we  are, 

135 


136  Personal  Evangelism 

or  should  be,  impelled  to  flee  from  the  “ wrath 
of  the  Lamb.” 

He  distinctly  sets  it  forth  as  a  place  of  conscious 
punishment,  but  as  one  that  was  not  prepared 
for  those  who  place  their  faith  in  him.  Rather  it 
is  a  “prepared”  place  for  those  who  reject  the 
grace  of  his  salvation  (Matt.  25:41). 

2.  One  weakness  of  this  reply  arises  from  a 
false  notion  of  God,  that  he  is  like  unto  a  man  who 
can  be  accused  of  sin. 

His  impeccable  purity  and  holiness  cannot 
brook,  nor  “behold,”  sin  (Hab.  1:13).  Of  his 
creative  acts  and  true  holiness  man  cannot  com¬ 
plain  (Rom.  8:20)  and  to  accuse  him  of  cruelty  in 
his  deeds  and  dealings  with  men,  to  judge  him  by 
the  standards  of  men,  is  to  charge  him  with  sin. 

What  is  the  mind  of  man  that  he  should  attempt 
to  fathom  the  wisdom  and  knowledge  of  God? 
Read  Isaiah  55 :  8,  9  and  Job  40 :  2. 

3.  The  revelation  of  God  given  us  in  the  Bible 
distinctly  sets  forth  the  idea  that  the  goodness  of 
God  in  no  way  prohibits  or  prevents  the  execution 
of  his  justice.  Without  punishment  for  the  offense 
what  need  is  there  of  a  law  against  that  offense? 

Peter  (2  Peter  2 :  4-6)  clearly  shows  us  what  God 
did  do  in  the  past  and  what  we  can  surely  look 
forward  to  as  to  his  dealings  in  the  future. 

The  greatest  words,  however,  bearing  on  this 
matter  are  those  of  the  Master  as  recorded  in  Mat¬ 
thew  25 :  31-46.  Comment  is  unnecessary. 


137 


“God  Is  Unjust  and  Cruel ” 

II :  THE  PURPOSE  OF  GOD’S  GOODNESS 

1.  That  men,  in  this  life,  do  not  all  receive  a 
just  reward  for  their  merits  and  good  deeds  and 
that  others  fail  of  the  proper  punishment  for  their 
offences,  every  thoughtful  man  will  concede. 

This  demands  a  future  adjustment.  It  would 
be  a  travesty  upon  justice  and  maladjustment  to 
conceive  of  a  Nero  as  now  enjoying  fellowship 
with,  say,  a  Moody  or  a  Florence  Nightingale. 

There  must,  therefore,  be  some  reason  for  the 
present  suspension  of  the  distribution  of  these 
rewards  and  punishments. 

2.  The  Jews  used  to  think  of  themselves  as 
being  the  elect  of  God,  so  much  so  that  no  matter 
what  inconsistencies  and  sins  they  might  commit, 
as  contrasted  with  the  Gentiles,  they  would  per¬ 
force  be  excused  and  saved.  To  meet  this  idea, 
Paul  (Romans  2:4,5)  shows  them  that  they  can¬ 
not  rely  upon  the  tolerance  of  God  on  their  behalf 
to  suspend  the  punishment  their  inconsistencies 
and  sins  demanded.  So  to  rely  upon  the  mercy  of 
God  was  to  bring  him  into  contempt  before  men. 

Rather  than  this,  the  purpose  of  God’s  toler¬ 
ance  of  such  conduct  and  not  at  once  bringing 
them  to  book  was  that  through  his  suspension  of 
judgment  they  might  see  his  mercy,  accept  his 
pardon,  and  escape  the  natural  and  necessary  pun¬ 
ishment  their  deeds  demanded. 

3.  God  longs  to  have  us  saved  (2  Peter  3:9) 


138  Personal  Evangelism 

but  if  we  do  not  accept  bis  overtures  of  mercy  (and 
that  is  within  the  realm  of  our  wills)  and  turn 
from  our  sin,  his  judgment,  though  temporarily 
suspended,  will  surely  fall  upon  the  offender.  See 
Ezekiel  33  : 11.  A  striking  Scriptural  illustration 
of  this  principle  is  to  be  seen  in  the  overthrow  of 
those  of  the  days  of  Noah,  who  made  light  of  the 
building  of  the  ark  and  those  of  the  cities  of  Sodom 
and  Gomorrah  who  refused  to  flee  when  warned 
(2  Peter  2 :  4-6). 

4.  Perhaps  some  sorrow  or  anguish  through 
which  the  inquirer  is  passing  may  call  forth  the 
complaint  we  are  considering. 

If  so,  read  carefully  Hebrew  12 : 5-7  and  10-12. 
Such  cases  must  be  treated  tenderly,  showing  that 
God  is  dealing  in  love,  and  emphasize  the  Master’s 
words  about  the  servant  being  as  his  Lord  (Matt. 
10:24).  Also  bring  before  them  the  *  ‘ happiness  ’ y 
promise  in  Matthew  5 : 4  and  that  the  Savior  too 
has  been  along  that  way  (Isa.  63:9).  Lead  them 
to  see  that  such  afflictions  are  but  for  a  moment 
and  “are  not  to  be  compared”  with  the  glory  that 
is  yet  to  be  revealed  (Romans  8:18  and  2  Cor. 
4:17, 18). 

No  man  would  think  of  any  possible  cruelty  on 
the  part  of  God  if  he  could  but  truly  realize  the 
depth  of  his  sin  and  offence  in  the  sight  of  God 
(Matt.  22:37). 

Be  sure  to  emphasize  the  wonderful  love  of  God 
for  the  sinner  (John  3:16  and  Isa.  53:5). 


“God  Is  Unjust  and  Cruel " 

QUESTIONS 


139 


1.  What  is  the  twofold  character  of  God  revealed  to  us  in 
the  Bible? 

2.  Look  up  and  tell  what  Christ  suggests  to  us  as  to  the 
nature  of  hell. 

3.  What  false  notion  of  God  does  the  subject  of  this  lesson 
suggest  ? 

4.  Why  is  it  folly  for  men  to  judge  God? 

5.  Wherein  does  it  become  sin  for  man  to  judge  God? 

6.  What  is  the  purpose  of  God’s  goodness? 

7.  Quote  Romans  2 :  4  and  2  Peter  3  :  9. 

8.  How  would  you  deal  with  one  who  thus  complains  of  God 
because  of  some  sorrow  or  anguish  through  which  he  is 
passing? 

9.  Give  some  Scriptural  illustrations  of  how  God  has  dealt 
in  judgment  with  those  who  are  impenitent. 

10.  Quote  John  3 : 16  and  Isaiah  53 :  5,  6. 


Chapter  VI 

“Why  Should  Christ  Die  for  Me?” 

It  is  not  our  purpose  to  study  the  various 
theories  of  the  Atonement — that  act  or  process 
whereby  sinful  man  reaches  an  “  At-one-ment” 
with  a  holy  God. 

Every  man  has  a  creed  the  moment  he  makes  a 
statement,  written  or  oral,  of  his  beliefs.  How¬ 
ever,  no  man  is  ever  saved  by  a  creed,  his  own  or 
another’s,  even  though  that  creed  may  have  been 
set  forth  by  an  ecclestiastical  body. 

For  this  reason  we  shall  not  deal  with  the 
theories  or  creeds  regarding  the  Atonement,  but 
try  to  answer  the  question  of  this  lesson  in  the 
light  of  what  we  believe  to  be  the  plain,  face  value 
meaning  of  the  Word  of  God. 

1:  ASCERTAIN"  THE  HONESTY  OF  THE  INQUIRY 

1.  By  this  we  mean  that  some  men  ask  this 
question  who  are  mere  triflers,  seeking  to  side¬ 
track  the  personal  evangelist  by  precipitating  a 
metaphysical  discussion,  thereby  to  avoid  the  do¬ 
ing  of  what  they  know  to  be  their  duty  or  else  to 
hide  from  the  truth  of  God. 

140 


“Why  Should  Christ  Die  for  Me?”  141 


But  some  men  are  honestly  puzzled  over  the  idea 
that  one  man  could  die  in  the  place  of,  or  for  the 
offenses  of  another.  With  such  it  may  be  well  to 
use  Romans  9 :  20.  Even  so,  it  must  be  used  with 
such  evident  sincerity  and  friendliness  as  to  avoid 
the  impression  of  any  dogmatic  superiority  on  the 
part  of  the  personal  evangelist. 

Expiation  and  satisfaction  are  the  price  God 
has  paid,  in  the  person  of  his  Son,  for  the 
offense  and  penalty  of  our  sins.  The  resulting 
benefit,  on  behalf  of  the  sinner,  is  that  propitia¬ 
tion  and  reconciliation  are  his  and  he  is  free. 

2.  If  convinced  of  the  sincerity  of  the  inquirer, 
try  to  show  him  how  in  every  realm  each  great’ 
advance  to  higher  and  better  things  has  come 
through  sacrifice  and  pain.  The  mother  gives  life 
to  the  child  amidst  labor  and  anguish.  Civilization 
has  always  advanced  at  the  cost  of  blood,  travail 
and  sacrifice,  with  the  innocent  suffering  for  the 
guilty  until  right  has  become  might. 

“That  men  may  rise  on  stepping  stones 
Of  their  dead  selves  to  higher  things/ 9 


II :  SHOW  THE  INQUIRER  THE  DEPTH  OF  HIS  SIN 

1.  We  have  already  shown  that  a  pure  and  holy 
God  must,  by  the  very  nature  of  his  being,  demand 
absolute  purity  of  his  followers. 

It  has  also  been  brought  out  that  none  has  ever 


142  Personal  Evangelism 

attained  to  that  purity,  save  one,  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.  It  is  not  a  question  of  the  quality  nor 
even  the  quantity  of  man’s  guilt,  but  the  fact 
that  he  is  to  the  least  degree  at  all  guilty  that 
condemns  him  in  the  sight  of  God. 

Human  goodness  and  morality  do  not  fit  men 
for  entrance  into  the  kingdom.  Cornelius  was 
good  according  to  human  standards  (Acts  10: 1-6) 
and  Paul,  who  boasted  of  his  righteousness  (Phil. 
3:4-8)  could  not  claim  eternal  life  on  the  basis 
of  his  own  goodness. 

All  life  and  progress  are  made  possible  by  the 
higher  reaching  down,  seizing  upon  the  possibili¬ 
ties  of  the  lower  and  raising  it  up  into  the  realm 
of  the  higher.  The  vegetable  feeds  upon  and  lifts 
the  mineral;  the  animal,  the  vegetable;  man  feeds 
upon  these  and  they  in  turn  become  a  part  of  hu¬ 
manity.  Likewise  humanity  enters  the  spiritual 
kingdom,  not  by  evolving  itself  upward,  but  by 
the  condescending  grace  of  God  reaching  down  and 
lifting  it  up  so  that  it  becomes  a  part  of  his 
spiritual  kingdom. 

The  only  way  we  can  enter  this  physical  life  is 
by  being  born  into  it.  Likewise  our  only  method 
of  entrance  into  spiritual  life  is  by  the  new  birth 
(John  3:7).  Thereby  there  is  implanted  within 
us  the  eternal  life  principle  and  we  become  “the 
sons  of  God.” 

2.  Sin  so  separates  us  from  eternal  life  that  it 
is  impossible  to  attain  unto  eternal  life.  There  is 


“Why  Should  Christ  Die  for  Me?”  143 


demanded  a  “propitiation”  for  our  sins — a  sinless 
offering,  and  “lie  who  knew  no  sin  became  sin 
for  us.”  What  man  could  not  do,  Christ,  the  sin¬ 
less  one,  taking  our  place,  did  for  us. 

If  we  can  but  show  the  doubter  the  greatness 
and  the  depth  of  his  sin  it  will  be  easy  to  point  such 
an  one  to  the  way  of  life,  as  already  taught  in 
these  lessons. 

The  clearer  the  light  the  more  easily  are  im¬ 
perfections  seen;  the  closer  a  sinful  man  gets  to 
the  Perfect  One  the  more  vivid  and  real  becomes 
the  evidence  of  his  sinfulness  and  the  more  ready 
he  is  to  accept  the  “righteousness  which  is  in 
Christ.” 


Ill:  THE  GREATNESS  OP  GOD’S  LOVE 

It  is  an  oft-repeated  assertion,  but  one  that 
needs  constant  emphasis  that  ‘  ‘  God  is  love.  ’  ’  This 
is  the  essence  of  his  being:  but,  that  we  might 
comprehend  that  love,  it  was  “made  to  be  seen” 
in  the  Son.  Even  so — 

“The  love  of  God  is  broader  than  the  measure  of 
man’s  mind, 

And  the  heart  of  the  Eternal  is  most  wonder¬ 
fully  kind.” 

Try  to  get  the  inquirer’s  mind  fixed  upon  those 
passages  which  reveal  the  love  of  God  (John  3 : 16 ; 


144  Personal  Evangelism 

Komans  5 :  6-8 ;  Isa.  53 :  6 ;  Gal.  3 : 13,  and  1  Peter 
2:24). 

The  prize  of  the  knowledge  of  and  fellowship 
with  Christ  was  looked  upon  by  the  greatest  intel¬ 
lect  of  the  ages  (outside  of  Christ)  as  being  so 
superior  to  all  things  else  that  they  could  only 
be  compared  to  refuse,  to  “dung”  (Phil.  3:7,8). 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  meant  by  the  Atonement? 

2.  What  is  a  creed? 

3.  Quote  Romans  9 :  20. 

4.  Why  should  we  use  this  verse  with  care? 

5.  How  has  human  life  always  made  progress? 

6.  Why,  in  considering  the  subject  of  this  lesson,  should  we 
try  to  show  men  the  depths  of  their  sin? 

7.  Give  some  Scriptural  illustrations  which  show  that  human 
goodness  does  not  merit  salvatiom 

8.  Give  an  illustration  which  shows  how  alone  we  can  enter 
the  spiritual  life. 

9.  What  does  sin  do  and  what  did  Christ  do  that  we 
cannot  do? 

10.  What  does  a  great  nearness  to  Christ  do  to  men? 


Chapter  VII 

“I  Do  Not  Understand  the  Bible” 

By  the  subject  of  this  lesson  we  are  not  con¬ 
sidering  those  who  are  skeptical  of  the  truth  of 
the  Word.  That  subject  will  be  considered  in  a 
later  lesson. 


1:  A  PROPER  OBJECTION 

1.  We  need  to  show  men  that  there  are  but  few 
things,  some  would  say  none,  that  we  can  prove  by 
a  mathematical  demonstration.  Most  of  the  daily 
experiences  of  life,  such  as  eating,  accepting 
checks  upon  the  bank,  the  use  of  electricity,  the 
telephone,  telegraph,  or  the  gas  engine  are  ac¬ 
cepted  without  a  question  being  raised  as  to  even 
a  partial  understanding  of  the  principles  which 
govern  their  use  or  those  experiences. 

2.  Once  before  we  have  suggested  that  spiritual 
things  can  only  be  spiritually  understood.  That 
is  the  teaching  of  Paul :  ‘  ‘  But  the  natural  man  re- 
ceiveth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God  for  they 
are  foolishness  unto  him:  neither  can  he  know 
them  because  they  are  spiritually  discerned  ”  (1 
Cor.  2: 14). 

The  reason  why  many  men  cannot  understand 

145 


146  Personal  Evangelism 

much  of  the  Bible  is  because  they  are  spiritually 
blind.  Edison  is  an  authority  on  electricity,  but 
cannot  by  any  stretch  of  imagination  be  quoted  on 
the  Bible  or  matters  spiritual.  One  word  from  a 
spiritually  minded  old  mother  in  Israel  is  worth 
ten  thousand  idle  speculations  from  one  who  lacks 
spiritual  enlightenment. 

Once  men  are  converted  the  Spirit  will  soon 
make  them  to  understand  the  Word  (Luke  11 : 13). 
God’s  thoughts,  the  thoughts  which  he  by  the 
Spirit  implants  within  us,  have  nothing  in  com¬ 
mon  with  the  natural  thoughts  of  men  (Isa. 
55:8,  9;  Romans  11:33). 

3.  The  beginning  of  wisdom  is  the  fear  of  God 
(Prov.  1:7),  and  much  of  the  so-called  lack  of 
comprehension  of  God’s  Word  is  due  to  the  fool¬ 
ish  habit  of  “ striving  about  words”  (2  Tim. 
2:14).  If  there  is  anything  which  delights  the 
heart  of  the  devil  it  is  to  get  up  an  argument,  to 
strive  about  words.  Never  does  such  striving  pro¬ 
mote  any  testimony  as  to  the  cleansing  power  of 
the  blood.  One  word  of  positive  experimental 
testimony  is  worth  ten  thousand  words  of  idle 
talk  about  things  we  do  not  and  most  likely  can 
never  satisfactorily  explain. 

4.  Even  Peter  did  not  profess  to  understand 
easily  and  fully  all  of  the  words  of  revelation  (2 
Peter  3:16-18).  This  does  not  mean  that  these 
words  are  not  true  nor  that  he  rejected  what  Paul 
said. 


“I  Do  Not  Understand  the  Bible ”  147 

Things  that  once  were  done  and  difficult  to  un¬ 
derstand  become  clear  as  study  and  years  of  ex¬ 
perience  pass.  What  is  now  to  human  wisdom 
a  dark  path,  seemingly  impossible  to  follow,  be¬ 
comes  a  clear  path  when  revealed  by  the  wisdom 
which  is  from  above  (Ps.  119 : 18). 


II:  HOW  TO  UNDERSTAND 

1.  In  the  study  of  the  sciences,  or  in  learning  a 
trade,  the  student  or  apprentice  places  himself 
under  the  instruction  of  one  who  can  teach,  and 
obediently  follows  his  directions.  To  do  otherwise 
is  effectually  to  shut  the  door  of  knowledge. 

Spiritual  knowledge  comes  by  the  same  process 
through  which  all  other  knowledge  is  gained. 
To  gain  it  we  must  first  of  all  put  ourselves  in 
a  receptive  and  obedient  state  of  mind,  and  sec¬ 
ondly,  by  persistent  effort,  follow  on  to  know. 

2.  The  Holy  Spirit  has  indicated  that  perfectly 
practical  and  common  sense  method  whereby  we 
may  attain  to  spiritual  understanding  (John 
7:17). 

This  is  the  great  pragmatic  test  of,  ‘ 4  Will  it 
work?”  The  answer  is,  “Try  it  and  see.”  Will 
the  bridge  uphold  me?  Try  it.  Is  the  Bible  true 
and  are  the  promises  of  salvation  true?  Try  them 
and  see. 

C.  H.  Spurgeon  once  illustrated  the  way  out  of 
this  difficulty  by  the  act  of  eating  fish.  We  eat  the 


148  Personal  Evangelism 

flesh  and  lay  aside  the  bones.  Not  being  able  to 
eat  the  bones  does  not  spoil  our  appetite  for  the 
flesh.  There  is  so  much  of  the  Bible,  enough  to  be 
saved,  to  comfort  and  to  guide  our  lives,  which  we 
can  understand,  that  it  is  foolish  to  reject  it  all 
because  now  and  then  we  encounter  a  bone  (usually 
one  of  contention)  that  we  cannot  digest  or  “  un¬ 
derstand/  ’ 

3.  God  has  repeatedly  thrown  out  the  challenge 
whereby  we  may  know  and  understand  if  we  only 
follow  his  instructions.  Psalm  119 : 18  indicates 
the  necessary  attitude  one  must  take  if  he  would 
understand  the  Bible. 

James  1:5  was  written  not  alone  for  those 
who  doubt  the  course  of  their  Christian  conduct, 
who  are  seeking  guidance,  but  also  for  all  who  lack 
wisdom  of  any  sort,  and  in  particular  as  regards 
the  Word  of  God. 


QUESTIONS 

1.  What  illustrations  do  we  have  from  daily  life  that  help 
to  meet  this  difficulty? 

2.  How  are  spiritual  things  understood  ? 

3.  Why,  according  to  Isaiah,  are  the  things  of  God  so  little 
understood  ? 

4.  What  is  the  danger  in  striving  about  words? 

5.  What  was  Peter’s  difficulty  about  the  writings  of  Paul  ? 

6.  How  does  the  student  or  apprentice  go  about  learning? 

7.  Quote  John  7 : 17  and  James  1 : 15. 

8.  In  your  own  language  give  Spurgeon’s  illustration. 

9.  What  is  God’s  challenge  along  this  line? 


Chapter  VIII 

“I  Cannot  Believe ” 

I:  THOSE  WITH  WHOM  THIS  IS  A  REAL  DIFFICULTY 

1.  Granting  the  honesty  of  this  objection  we 
ought  to  ask  such  a  one:  “What  is  it  that  you 
cannot  believer’  or,  “What  is  the  difference  be¬ 
tween  Christian  belief  and  any  other  belief  in 
life?”  Mr.  Moody  once  pressed  these  questions 
upon  a  man  with  whom  he  was  dealing  until  he 
replied,  “I  can  believe  God,  but  I  cannot  believe 
myself.”  Mr.  Moody  was  quick  to  say  to  the 
man,  “I  don’t  want  you  to  believe  yourself  but 
believe,  have  faith  in,  trust  God.” 

Very  often  when  we  pin  him  down  we  find  the 
inquirer  is  puzzled  over  some  particular  portion  of 
Scripture  or  some  one  of  the  doctrines  of  the 
church.  Important  as  it  is  to  believe  the  Bible, 
still  we  must  remember  that  we  are  saved  not  by 
believing  the  Bible,  for  it  is  only  a  written  record, 
but  we  are  saved  by  our  faith  in  the  work  of 
Christ  (John  3 :  36,  5  :  24  and  so  forth). 

If  we  persistently  keep  the  minds  of  men  on  this 
essential  fact  and  emphasize  the  principle  that  we 
should  “believe  our  beliefs  and  doubt  our  doubts,” 
men  will  soon  see  the  light. 

149 


150  Personal  Evangelism 

It  is  our  faith  in  Christ,  not  what  we  believe 
about  some  doctrine  or  incident  as  recorded  in  the 
Bible,  that  saves  us.  Use  such  passages  as  Acts 
16:31;  John  3:16,  3:36,  5:24,  and  Romans 
10 :  9, 10. 

2.  Once  we  get  men  (and  this  difficulty  is  chiefly 
among  adults  or  those  of  the  later  adolescent  age) 
fully  to  trust  Christ  and  begin  an  honest  study 
of  God’s  Word,  these  secondary  questions  will 
soon  he  answered. 

It  is  a  law  of  personal  evangelism  that  we 
should  avoid  the  discussion  of  questions  of  second¬ 
ary  importance  in  doing  our  work.  Keep  close 
to  the  matters  of  individual  sin  and  of  salvation 
through  Christ. 

Spiritual  things  are  spiritually  discerned  (1 
Cor.  1:18,22)  and  the  unsaved  man  is  unable 
rightly  to  understand  and  comprehend  most  of 
these  difficulties.  The  vital  thing  is  first  of  all 
man’s  relation  to  Jesus  Christ  as  Savior,  Lord 
and  Master. 

II :  THE  UNWILLINGNESS  TO  BELIEVE 

1.  Some  men,  once  they  are  cornered,  will  reveal 
the  fact  that  their  difficulty  is  not  in  their  inability 
to  believe,  but  rather  in  an  unwillingness  to  be¬ 
lieve,  because  to  believe  would  involve  the  forsak¬ 
ing  of  known  sin.  Remove  one  difficulty  and  such 
person  will  readily  produce  another.  Tell  him 


“I  Cannot  Believe ” 


151 


where  Cain  got  his  wife,  why  Noah  alone  should 
have  been  saved,  or  why  the  first-born  were  killed 
in  Egypt,  and  he  is  no  nearer  entering  the  king¬ 
dom. 

Remove  his  difficulty  and  he  is  not  honest  enough 
to  face  the  real,  the  vital  question  of  accepting  sal¬ 
vation  by  faith.  It  is  generally  not  very  difficult 
to  reveal  such  a  state  of  life  on  the  part  of  the  in¬ 
quirer.  Once  having  shown  him,  use  Isaiah  55 :  7. 
The  thing  such  a  man  needs  is  to  forsake  his  sin, 
his  way,  and  turn  to  God’s  way,  to  turn  from  his 
thoughts  to  God,  who  will  have  mercy  upon  him 
and  abundantly  pardon. 

2.  We  must  show  this  class  of  persons  what 
belief  really  is.  We  believe  in  God  exactly  as  we 
believe  in  our  fellow  men.  If  we  truly  believe  a 
man,  we  accept  his  word  as  truth  and  govern  our 
acts  in  accordance  therewith.  If  I  believe  my  busi¬ 
ness  friend,  I  accept  his  check,  go  to  the  bank  and 
get  the  currency.  Believing  the  physician,  I  accept 
his  diagnosis  and  take  his  prescription.  The  test 
of  our  faith  is  experience,  and  we  do  not  reverse 
the  order. 

Knowledge  comes  in  three  ways :  consciousness, 
evidence  or  experience,  and  testimony.  Most  of 
what  we  know  comes  by  testimony  and  the  proof 
is  experience. 

The  challenge  is  out  whereby  we  may  know 
(John  7:17).  Ask  the  inquirer  if  he  has  done 
the  will  of  God,  has  surrendered  his  will  to  that 


152  Personal  Evangelism 

of  God.  Knowledge  of  the  will  of  God  may  be 
had  for  the  asking  (James  1:5-7)  and  the  record 
of  the  gospels  was  written  for  the  express  purpose 
that  we  might  believe  on  Jesus  Christ  and  “be¬ 
lieving  we  might  have  life  through  his  name” 
(John  20 :  31). 

3.  After  all,  human  conduct  is  largely  governed 
by  the  pragmatic  test — “Will  it  work!”  Not  for 
long  do  men  keep  that  machine  which  does  not  do 
that  for  which  it  was  created.  Mankind  soon 
abandons  that  idea  which  experience  has  proven 
unworkable.  The  test  of  an  invention  is  its  work¬ 
ability;  thereby  is  proven  its  value  to  mankind. 

By  the  application  of  this  principle  man  may 
know  for  a  surety  the  personality  of  God,  the 
salvation  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  leadership  of  the 
Spirit  and  the  truth  of  the  Word.  “He  that  doeth 
.  .  .  shall  know.  ’ ? 

Most  of  us  do  too  much  talking.  Let  the  Word 
speak.  Argument  will  not  suffice:  get  men  to 
act.  A  devotional  presentation  of  the  Bible  will 
meet  most  difficulties.  Those  who  are  doing  the 
greatest  work  in  the  world  generally  say  the  least 
about  it.  Present  the  Word  of  God,  call  for  action 
and  difficulties  will  soon  vanish. 


153 


“I  Cannot  Believe " 

QUESTIONS 

1.  How  nracli  and  what  must  we  believe  in  order  to  be  saved  ? 

2.  What  does  it  mean  when  we  say  that  we  are  not  saved  by 
believing  the  Bible? 

3.  Among  whom  is  the  difficulty  of  this  lesson  chiefly  found? 

4.  What  essential  truths  should  we  emphasize? 

5.  Who  can  understand  spiritual  things  aright? 

6.  What  is  frequently  the  great  reason  for  a  professed  lack 
of  belief? 

7.  Locate  and  quote  a  good  verse  to  use  with  such  persons. 

8.  In  reality  what  is  belief? 

9.  How  may  I  know  the  truth  about  God? 

10.  Quote  and  apply  John  7 : 17  and  John  20:  31. 

11.  What  is  it  that  so  largely  determines  human  conduct? 

12.  What  is  the  concluding  principle  stated  in  this  lesson? 


Chapter  IX 

Doubt  and  Doubters 

“I  do  not  seek  to  know  that  I  may  believe,  but 
to  believe  in  order  that  I  may  know.” — Augustine. 

The  Scriptures  tell  us  of  those  who  could  not 
enter  the  Promised  Land  because  of  “unbelief” 
(Heb.  3:19),  and  admonish  us  constructively  to 
help  those  who  are  weak  in  faith,  but  not  by 
vain  arguments, — “doubtful  disputations”  (Rom. 
14:1). 

Duty  that  is  neglected,  bad  health  conditions,  too 
much  introspection  or  sin  in  the  life  (Isa.  59 : 1-3), 
are  frequent  causes  of  doubt. 

I:  THE  PERSONALITY  OF  FAITH 

1.  Honest  doubt  is  not  a  disgrace,  and  the  hon¬ 
est  doubter  will  usually  capitulate  when  brought 
face  to  face  with  faith  that  is  personified.  Saul 
of  Tarsus  was  an  honest  doubter  but,  brought  face 
to  face  with  Christ  on  the  Damascus  road,  yielded 
and  became  Paul  the  Apostle.  Christ,  the  person, 
won  his  allegiance. 

Doubt  disturbs  many  lives,  but  it  is  an  excellent 
opening  for  the  personal  evangelist  if  approached 

154 


Doubt  and  Doubters 


155 


prayerfully,  courageously  and  sympathetically. 
It  is  not  doubt,  however,  that  wins  victories.  “A 
man  has  more  power  through  believing  one  thing 
than  in  disbelieving  ten  thousand.” — Trumbull. 

Only  a  believer  in  whom  faith  is  objectified  can 
lead  the  doubter  to  Incarnate  Truth  and  he  will 
answer  the  doubter, — “I  am  the  way,  the  truth, 
and  the  life.”  Doubt  sees  in  the  fog  a  bogie  which 
nearer  inspection  reveals  as  a  brother  beloved. 
The  personal  evangelist’s  task  is  to  lead  the 
doubter  to  his  Brother. 

2.  To  disregard  or  petulantly  dismiss  the 
doubter  with  impatience  and  irritableness  is  un¬ 
wise,  senseless  and  selfish.  Kind,  patient  and  per¬ 
sistent  presentation  of  the  Word  of  God  backed 
up  by  a  life  of  consistent  Christian  conduct,  the 
use  of  a  clear  brain  and  discreet  dealing  will  be 
sure  to  win  an  ultimate  and  satisfying  victory. 

Much  doubt  is  exaggerated.  Exaggerated  feel¬ 
ings,  warped  and  exaggerated  ideas  of  sin,  of  the 
Bible  and  Christian  experience,  must  be  kindly 
but  firmly  met,  and  the  real  issue  clearly  defined. 
Alone,  not  in  the  presence  of  others,  deal  plainly, 
directly  and  fearlessly,  avoiding  a  controversial, 
belligerent  or  critical  spirit,  constantly  holding 
forth  the  mirror  of  God’s  Word. 

3.  There  are,  of  course,  dishonest  doubters  and 
sometimes  these  may  deceive  even  the  elect.  Such 
men  are  generally  trying  to  cover  their  sin  by  pre¬ 
senting  a  face  of  doubt.  True,  some  of  these  are 


156  Personal  Evangelism 

self-deceived,  but  the  Holy  Spirit  can  use  the 
Word  to  show  themselves  to  themselves.  (See 
Chapter  IX,  Part  One.) 

4.  The  dangerous  doubter  is  that  pessimistic, 
sanctimonious  man  who  can  see  nothing  of  good 
in  the  world,  who  has  no  faith  in  his  fellow  men 
and  doubts  if  Providence  has  anything  to  do  with 
the  affairs  of  men. 

But  Browning’s  theory,  “ God’s  in  his  heaven — 
All’s  right  with  the  world,”  is  equally  an  falla¬ 
cious  view  of  life. 

Such  men  need  the  Bible.  Point  them  to  Jesus 
weeping  over  the  city;  show  them  the  Man  of 
Sorrows  eating  in  the  house  of  the  publican,  Zac- 
chseus ;  that  he  dealt  in  tenderness  with  the  harlot, 
rebuked  license  in  life  and  government,  and  found 
joy  in  seeking  and  saving  the  lost.  He  went  about 
‘ ‘ doing  good”  and  in  so  doing  did  the  “will  of  the 
Father.” 

If  we  bring  these  great  facts  to  the  doubter,  the 
Holy  Spirit  will  disarm  him  and  unitedly  we  will 
go  forth  to  do  a  great  work  for  Christ. 

II :  THE  SUPERNATURAL  CONTROVERSY 

1.  In  a  later  lesson  we  will  deal  more  fully  with 
the  question  of  skepticism. 

The  great  combat  of  the  human  mind  has  always 
been  that  of  the  supernatural.  In  one  age  it  has 
revolved  about  the  matter  of  the  Resurrection,  in 


Dowbt  and  Doubters  157 

another  the  Virgin  Birth  and  anon  the  question  of 
Miracles. 

“We  are  the  stewards  of  the  mysteries  of  God” 
and  the  man  who  only  believes  and  passes  on  to 
others  the  things  which  his  finite  mind  can  under¬ 
stand  is  no  churchman  at  all.  Belief  in  the  super¬ 
natural  is  primary.  Augustine’s  mother  believed 
and  followed  him  through  all  his  life  of  wicked¬ 
ness  till  the  preaching  of  a  great  soul  stirred  his 
intellect,  touched  his  conscience  and  led  him  out 
as  the  great  apologetic, — he  who  erstwhile  had 
doubted. 

2.  We  quote  from  Dr.  John  Timothy  Stone: 

“Let  us  bring  the  men  who  doubt  to  the  Cross. 
Let  us  neither  antagonize  nor  argue,  but  work  out 
the  problem  together  at  his  feet.  Let  us  use  pa¬ 
tience  (1  Thess.  1:3),  wisdom  (James  1:5),  sym¬ 
pathy  (Heb.  12  :1-3),  and,  more  than  all,  let  us 
pray  with  them,  pray  in  the  power  of  the  mighty 
prayer  of  Paul  (Eph.  3:14-21)  and  in  his  words 
to  the  church  at  Philippi  (Phil.  4:6).  Let  us 
crown  our  faith  with  Philippians  4 : 13,  knowing 
that  ‘God  will  supply  all  your  need’  (4:19).” 

QUESTIONS 

1.  Why  were  some  kept  out  of  the  Promised  Land? 

2.  What  are  some  of  the  causes  of  doubt? 

3.  What  caused  Saul  to  become  a  Christian? 

4.  What  did  Henry  Clay  Trumbull  say  about  doubt? 

5.  Why  is  it  bad  for  us  to  disregard  doubt? 


158  Personal  Evangelism 

6.  What  should  be  the  rule  for  us  to  follow  in  dealing  with 
doubters  ? 

7.  What  course  shall  we  follow  with  dishonest  doubters? 

8.  What  can  we  show  the  pessimistic  doubter? 

9.  What  is  the  great  contest  of  the  human  mind  ? 

10.  Why  should  we  accept  the  supernatural  in  Christianity? 

11.  What  are  the  things  Dr.  Stone  suggests  for  our  use  in 
dealing  with  doubters? 

12.  Quote  James  1 :  5  and  Philippians  4 : 13  and  19. 


Chapter  X 


The  Need  of  Confession  and  Church 

Membership 

There  are  two  methods  of  confession  of  faith, 
the  oral  and  the  symbolic. 

The  Baptist  position  that  salvation  is  quite  in¬ 
dependent  of  church  membership  is  often  seem¬ 
ingly  contradicted  by  the  very  insistence  put  upon 
its  place  and  importance. 

While  joining  the  church  and  the  putting  on  of 
Christ  by  baptism  are  essential  to  obedience  and 
important  to  Christian  living,  still  we  need  to  re¬ 
member  that  salvation  is  dependent  not  upon  these 
acts,  but  upon  a  faith  which  confesses  Christ  as 
Savior  and  Lord  (Romans  10:9,  10). 

I:  THE  CHURCH 

A  New  Testament  church  is  a  body  of  believers 
in  Christ  (Eph.  1:22,  23),  an  institution  that  is 
God-given  and  that  speaks  of  and  for  him.  It  was 
purchased  at  a  great  cost,  even  the  blood  of  Jesus 
and  it  has  but  two  sets  of  officers,  pastors  and 
deacons;  likewise  two  ordinances  (not  sacra¬ 
ments),  Baptism  and  the  Lord’s  Supper. 

159 


160  Personal  Evangelism 

Ignorance  concerning  the  origin,  perpetuity  and 
the  final  triumph  of  the  church  is  inexcusable. 
The  New  Testament  teaching  is  clear,  concise  and 
conclusive. 

2.  Early  in  life  we  should  teach  the  meaning  of 
church  membership.  Pastors  should  hold  instruc¬ 
tion  classes,  teaching  the  facts  of  repentance  for 
sin,  confession  before  men,  faith  towards  God  and 
the  Lordship  of  Christ  as  the  conditions  for  mem¬ 
bership  therein. 

“The  church  is  an  organization  of  the  forces  of 
the  kingdom”  and  as  such  it  manifests  to  the 
world  the  life  of  which  it  is  composed. 

“It  is  both  a  duty  and  a  privilege  to  guide  the 
young  (both  in  age  and  in  the  experience  of  salva¬ 
tion)  into  alignment  and  alliance  with  the  New 
Testament  church.” — Dr.  P.  E.  Burroughs. 

This  does  not  mean  coercion,  but  gentle  moral 
suasion. 


II :  THE  ORDINANCES 

1.  Baptism. 

(a)  Having  brought  a  lost  soul  to  know  the  joy 
of  salvation,  it  is  as  natural  for  him  to  confess  that 
fact  by  word  and  in  symbol  as  it  is  for  the  rose 
to  bud  and  to  blossom. 

The  question  of  children  making  a  confession 
perplexes  many  a  parent,  or  else — tragedy  to 
record — it  is  ignored  or  neglected. 


161 


The  Need  of  Confession 

Children  differ  widely  in  their  development,  and 
the  Bible  gives  no  explicit  directions  in  the  matter. 
None  can  challenge  the  fact  that  baptism,  as  a 
public  confession,  should  come  as  early  as  there 
are  appearances  that  evidence  a  mind  and  heart 
that  are  yielded  to  the  Savior,  and  that  he  is 
enthroned  as  Lord  of  the  life.  The  Word  and 
human  experience  favor  an  early  age  for  baptism. 

(b)  We  must  set  before  men  the  incorrectness  of 
the  teaching  of  baptismal  regeneration.  At  the 
same  time  clearly  present  the  truth  that  baptism  is 
an  act,  in  water  (Acts  8 :  38, 39),  designed  as  a  con¬ 
fession  (Gal.  3:27),  as  an  answer  of  a  good  con¬ 
science  (1  Peter  3:21)  and  an  outward  manifes¬ 
tation  of  an  inward  act  of  grace  (Titus  3:5). 

Baptism  is  a  symbol,  not  a  sacrifice  nor  a  sacra¬ 
ment  (Romans  6 :  3-5),  that  we  are  to  walk  in  new¬ 
ness  of  life.  It  is  a  symbol  of  the  fact  that  we 
have  died  to  sin  and  been  buried  with  Christ  and 
that  we  are  raised  to  the  newness  of  a  life  of  ac¬ 
ceptance  before  God  and  that  we  shall  finally  be 
raised  to  life  everlasting  (Col.  2:12). 

2.  The  Lord’s  Supper. 

Emphasize  that  this  is  a  memorial  of  Christ’s 
death,  “till  he  come,”  and  that  it  is  to  be  preceded 
by  baptism.  This  is  the  teaching  of  every  body 
of  professed  Christian  believers. 

While  it  is  truly  the  “Lord’s  table”  yet  there 
is  not  in  his  Word  any  suggestion  that  we  are 
to  invite  to  its  participation  any  others  than  obedi- 


162  Personal  Evangelism 

ent  believers  and  there  are  warnings  that  we  shall 
not  ‘  ‘  eat  and  drink  unworthily  ’  ’  ( 1  Cor.  11:27). 

The  Lord’s  Supper  is  a  privilege  not  lightly  to 
be  esteemed  or  neglected.  It  reminds  us  of  the 
work  of  Christ  on  our  behalf,  strengthens  our  faith 
and  inspires  our  hope.  By  it  we  commune  with 
an  unseen  Lord,  our  souls  open  to  him  and,  in  the 
consciousness  of  his  presence,  we  go  forth  with 
renewed  faith,  courage  and  strength  to  undertake 
the  tasks  of  life. 

For  the  New  Testament  order  of  the  ordinances 
read  and  ponder  1  Cor.  11 : 17-34. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  should  accompany,  or  is  one  evidence  of,  con¬ 
version  ? 

2.  Quote  Romans  10 :  9, 10. 

3.  What  is  one  danger  of  pressing  too  hard  the  matter  of 
church  membership? 

4.  How  early  should  children  be  baptized? 

5.  Wherein  does  opposition  to  early  baptism  often  arise? 

6.  Outline  clearly  what  baptism  is  and  its  purpose. 

7.  What  shall  we  do  if  parents  are  opposed  to  the  baptism 
of  their  children? 

8.  Define  clearly  the  church. 

9.  What  is  the  purpose  of  the  church  in  the  world? 

10.  What  is,  and  what  is  the  purpose  of,  the  Lord’s  Supper? 


PART  FOUR:  SPECIAL  CLASSES 
AND  SUGGESTIONS 


PART  FOUR:  SPECIAL  CLASSES 
AND  SUGGESTIONS 


Chapter  I 

Those  Who  Lack  Assurance 

No  man  can  help  others  if  he,  himself,  lacks 
assurance.  The  personal  evangelist  must  know 
and  be  absolutely  certain  that  he  has  eternal  life 
before  he  can  with  any  continued  success  lead 
others  to  become  Christians. 

Much  of  the  uncertainty  along  this  line  is  due 
to  a  dependence  upon  feeling,  or  an  acceptance  of 
the  words  of  man — a  seeking  after  the  experience 
of  others. 

Dr.  Torrey  has  wisely  separated  those  who  lack 
Christian  assurance  into  two  classes;  those  who 
are  ignorant  of  the  grounds  of  assurance  and 
those  who  are  living  lives  of  sin  or  of  disobedience 
and  hence  are  fearful  that  the  results  of  their 
lives  may  separate  them  ultimately  from  God. 

i:  THOSE  WHO  ARE  IGNORANT 

Any  Christian  who  takes  the  Scripture  record  at 
its  face  value  will  have  sufficient  testimony  that  he 

165 


166  Personal  Evangelism 

is  saved.  It  is  the  privilege  of  all  to  know  this 
fact. 

1.  We  have  repeatedly  shown  that  salvation 
does  not  to  any  degree  depend  npon  personal  good¬ 
ness.  It  is  not  offered  to  those  who  propose  to  be 
good,  nor  guaranteed  to  those  who  hope  that  God 
will  eventually  be  good  and  gracious  to  them. 
“Salvation  is  an  act  with  a  view  to  a  process.” 
By  the  act  (of  belief)  we  become  the  “sons  of 
God”  (John  1:12)  and  npon  the  unconditional 
declaration  of  God’s  faithfulness  he  has  promised 
to  save  and  to  keep  all  who  put  their  trust  in  him 
(Jude  24). 

2.  The  cure  of  uncertainty  is  certainty.  By  his 
word  (1  John  5:13)  we  have  an  official  title  deed 
to  eternal  life.  See  also  John  1 : 12,  5 :  24,  3 :  36. 

From  these  passages  we  see  that  the  ground  of 
our  assurance  is  the  very  trustworthiness  of 
Christ  and  “without  faith  it  is  impossible  to  please 
God.” 

Too  many  make  the  mistake  of  believing  man, 
but  fail  completely  to  trust  God.  Old  things  do 
pass  away  and  there  are  normal  Christian  emo¬ 
tions  and  desires  that  come  to  the  believer  but 
they  follow,  they  do  not  precede,  the  repose  of 
faith. 

3.  The  argument  of  the  Apostle  James  where 
he  contends  so  earnestly  for  justifying  works  con¬ 
cerns  itself  with  the  fact  that  man  judges  the 
Christian  believer  by  the  outward,  observable,  acts 


Those  Who  Lack* Assurance  167 

of  his  life.  Faith  alone  justifies  a  man  in  the 
sight  of  God  (James  2:23). 

Of  course  it  is  beyond  doubt  or  question  that 
when  Christ  comes  into  the  human  heart  the  re¬ 
sults  will  appear  in  a  changed  life,  a  new  relation 
to  God,  attitude  toward  prayer,  love  for  the  Word, 
relation  to  sin  and  the  reaching  out  after  the 
unsaved. 

We  do  not  try  to  answer  the  query  (man  is  not 
to  be  the  judge)  as  to  the  genuineness  of  man’s 
confession  of  faith,  though  the  evidences  ought  to 
be  enough  to  convince  the  most  skeptical.  But 
granted  that  one  has  a  real  and  a  genuine  faith, 
then  on  the  authority  of  God’s  word  we  dare  de¬ 
clare  the  impartation  of  eternal  life,  the  “gift 
of  God”  (Romans  6:33). 

It  is  also  true  that  his  spirit  “beareth  witness 
with  our  spirit  that  we  are  the  children  of  God” 
(Romans  8 : 16, 17). 


II :  THOSE  WHO  LACK  ASSURANCE  BECAUSE  OF  SIN  OR 

DISOBEDIENCE 

Turning  again  to  the  First  Epistle  of  John  we 
find  it  to  be  full  of  references  to  the  assurance  of 
the  new  life  in  Christ. 

1.  Examining  those  who  profess  faith,  John 
tells  us  that  “we  know  him,  if  we  keep  his  com¬ 
mandments”  (1  John  5:2)  (there  is  here  no  ref¬ 
erence  to  the  law  of  Moses).  “In  this  the  children 


168  Personal  Evangelism 

of  God  are  manifest,  and  the  children  of  the  devil : 
whosoever  doeth  not  righteousness  is  not  of  God, 
neither  he  that  loveth  not  his  brother”  (1  John 
3:10,  see  also  John  6:28,  29). 

2.  The  experience  of  fearfulness  comes  to  all  of 
us  in  our  relations  to  our  friends  whenever  we 
do  them  an  injustice.  In  a  higher  degree  the  con¬ 
fidence  due  to  his  abiding  presence  in  our  lives 
will  be  clouded  by  sin  or  marred  perhaps  and 
temporarily  lost  by  the  depression  of  physical 
weakness  or  dimmed  by  disobedience.  For  us  to 
depend  upon  experience  as  primary  is  to  sweep 
away  all  grounds  of  assurance. 

3.  The  indwelling  Son  of  God  is  an  abiding  fact 
not  to  be  confused  with  the  changeable  experience 
of  our  daily  lives. 

Frequently  it  will  be  wise  to  ask  bluntly,  frankly 
but  tenderly,  the  question,  “Do  you  know  of  any 
cherished  sin  or  anything  in  your  life  that  is 
wrong  or  that  troubles  your  conscience?”  Then 
use  Isaiah  55 :  7. 

4.  The  Bible  uses  the  word  “assurance”  as  a 
repose  of  our  faith  in  the  faithfulness  of  God 
(Heb.  10:22);  as  a  confidence  that  grows  upon 
us  as  we  enter  into  the  vastness  of  the  revelation 
of  God’s  grace  in  Christ  (Col.  2:2);  and  as  a  con¬ 
viction  that  his  promises  concerning  the  future 
will  surely  be  fulfilled  (Heb.  6:11). 


Those  Who  Lack  Assurance 


169 


QUESTIONS 

1.  What  two  classes  lack  assurance  of  being  saved  ? 

2.  Upon  what  does  salvation  depend?  Give  Scripture  to 
prove. 

3.  What  two  witnesses  to  eternal  life  do  we  have? 

4.  Quote  1  John  5  : 13  and  Romans  8  : 16. 

5.  For  what  is  the  Apostle  James  contending  in  his  argu¬ 
ment  concerning  works? 

6.  What  results  should  normally  appear  in  the  life  of  the 
believer  after  he  has  accepted  Christ  as  his  Savior  and 
Lord? 

7.  Whence  comes  eternal  life?  Quote  Romans  6:  33. 

8.  How  many  times  does  the  word  “know”  or  its  equivalent 
occur  in  the  First  Epistle  of  John? 

9.  What  will  always  cause  fearfulness  and  uncertainty? 

10.  What  will  be  a  wise  question  to  ask?  Quote  Isaiah  55:  7. 

11.  Give  three  Bible  uses  made  of  the  word  “assurance.” 


Chapter  II 

The  Backslider 

I :  WHO  IS  THE  BACKSLIDER  ? 

In  this  present  discussion  we  are  not  consider¬ 
ing  the  question  of  the  eternal  security  of  the 
believer.  Christ  did  enough  on  the  Cross  to  enable 
God  to  save  us  righteously  and  to  keep  us  as  well 
(John  1 : 12). 

By  regeneration  we  become  legitimate  children 
of  God,  “  joint  heirs’ ’  with  Jesus  Christ,  and  who 
is  to  change  our  parenthood  or  dissolve  our  son- 
ship? 

We  do  have  in  mind  in  this  lesson  that  very 
large  class  who  call  themselves  backsliders.  No 
two  of  these  cases  are  alike  and  there  are  many 
professed  Christians,  or  at  least  church  members, 
who  are,  judged  by  the  fruits  of  their  lives,  living 
in  a  backsliding  state  though  they  might  resent 
such  a  charge. 

Scripturally  we  have  ample  illustrations  of  back¬ 
sliding,  that  state  of  Christian  living  where  one  is 
not  in  fellowship  with  God  in  Christ  Jesus. 

My  broken  or  wounded  arm  may  be  useless  and  a 
hindrance  to  me,  but  it  is  still  in  vital  relation  to 
my  body  and  can  be  restored  to  its  proper  use  and 

importance;  so  with  the  backslider. 

170 


The  Backslider 


171 


To  know  onr  perfect  standing  in  Christ  is  the 
greatest  incentive  to  holy  living.  Heart  searching 
and  moral  judgments  will  follow  a  comprehension 
of  the  grace  of  God.  Each  healthy  member  of  the 
body  pulsates  to  the  heart  and  obeys  the  behests 
of  the  head,  so  each  child  of  God  must  be  a  health¬ 
ful  member  of  the  body  of  which  “he  is  the  head.” 

II :  THE  CARELESS  OR  INDIFFERENT  BACKSLIDER 

Nothing  so  quickly  arouses  the  disobedient  child 
as  the  sharp  word  of  reproof  from  a  just  parent. 
So  our  best  agency  is  to  use  God’s  word. 

1.  A  good  passage  for  us  to  use  is  Jeremiah  2  :  5. 
By  this  we  throw  the  burden  of  justifying  the  life 
of  the  backslider  upon  himself  and  reveal  to  him 
the  folly  and  ingratitude  of  forsaking  God  and  a 
Savior  who  has  done  so  much  for  him. 

If  possible  get  the  backslider  to  see  the  bitter¬ 
ness,  the  folly,  heart-burnings,  misfortune  and 
trouble  that  come  to  all  who  forsake  the  right 
walks  and  actions  of  life,  to  the  man  who  fails  to 
do  his  whole  duty,  the  one  who  turns  from  a 
“fountain  of  living  waters  to  a  broken  cistern” 
(Jer.  2:13). 

2.  It  is  well  with  some  to  review  the  list  of  those 
who  have  forsaken  the  “right  paths.”  Every  one 
will  know  of  many  such  cases  from  his  personal 
experience  and  we  have  Scriptural  illustrations 
as  well. 


172  Personal  Evangelism 

(a)  The  case  of  Solomon,  1  Kings  11 :  9. 

(b)  The  prodigal  son,  Luke  15: 13-17. 

(c)  The  cities  of  the  plain,  Gen.  19,  or  Amos 

4 : 11, 12. 

The  Bible  is  full  of  God’s  call  to  backsliding 
Israel.  Yet  Israel  kept  turning  to  its  false  gods 
and  sinful  pleasures  and  did  not  fully  learn  the 
lesson  until  after  the  Babylonian  captivity. 

So  we  may  emphasize  over  and  over  again  the 
thought  that  men  must  prepare  to  meet  God,  and 
that  too  in  such  “an  hour  as  ye  think  not”  (Matt. 
25:1-13). 


hi:  THE  SORROWING  BACKSLIDER 

Here  we  have  quite  another  class,  one  which  in 
one  way  is  the  easiest,  and  yet  in  another,  the 
most  difficult  with  which  to  deal.  In  the  next 
lesson  we  will  consider  the  sorrowful  one  who 
fears  that  as  a  backslider  he  is  forever  lost. 

1.  For  those  who  are  sick  of  their  backsliding 
and  long  for  a  new  and  a  better  experience  point 
them  to  Jeremiah  3:12,  13.  Here  they  will  see 
God’s  readiness  to  accept  them  and  that  upon 
one  and  only  one  condition,  that  they  acknowl¬ 
edge  and  turn  from  their  sins  (Isa.  55:7). 

Another  tender  passage  of  invitation  is  Hosea 
14 : 1-4.  God,  the  injured  one,  invites  the  back¬ 
slider  to  return,  promises  to  heal  him  and  to  love 
him  freely  and  that  upon  one  condition,  that  he 


The  Backslider 


173 


take  words  of  confession  and  return  to  him.  See 
also  Jer.  29:11-13;  Deut.  4:28-31,  and  2  Ckron. 
7:14. 

2.  If  we  take  the  New  Testament  we  may  use 
1  John  1 :  9  which  is  addressed  to  believers,  though 
of  course  we  are  justified  in  using  it  with  the  one 
who  has  never  made  a  confession  of  faith. 

1  John  2 : 1,  2  will  be  useful  but  the  great  classic 
is  the  Master’s  tender  regard  for  backsliding 
Peter,  Mark  16 :  7.  Also  use  Luke  15 : 11-21  as  a 
fine  picture  of  the  loving  reception  from  God  that 
awaits  the  returning  backslider. 

Be  sure  to  instruct  the  one  who  thus  returns  how 
to  live  the  victorious  life.  See  Chapter  VII, 
Part  Two. 


QUESTIONS 

1.  What  two  classes  of  backsliders  are  considered  in  this 
lesson? 

2.  Give  a  definition  of  backsliding1  as  the  term  is  here  used. 

3.  How  can  you  show  where  the  fault  lies  ? 

4.  What  is  the  result  of  backsliding? 

5.  Give  some  Old  Testament  illustrations  of  backsliding  other 
than  the  ones  mentioned  in  this  lesson. 

6.  What  is  God’s  attitude  towards  the  backslider? 

7.  What  are  God’s  conditions  for  healing  the  backslider? 

8.  What  are  some  passages  in  the  New  Testament  that  we 
may  use  with  the  backslider? 

9.  Tell  how  you  would  use  the  incident  of  Peter’s  downfall. 

10.  What  must  we  be  sure  to  do  for  the  returning  backslider? 

Give  the  chief  points  suggested  in  that  lesson. 


Chapter  III 

The  Backslider  (Concluded) 

In  this  lesson  we  desire  to  consider  somewhat 
more  fully  the  question  raised  in  the  last  one,  viz., 
“the  eternal  security  of  the  believer ”  or  can  a 
person  be  a  Christian  and  then  backslide  and  be 
eternally  lost? 

Because  of  its  logical  and  thorough  presentation 
we  have  largely  followed  the  contents  of  Chapters 
X  and  XI  of  “Salvation”  by  L.  S.  Chafer — S.  S. 
Times  Publishing  Co. 

By  assurance  is  meant  personal  confidence, 
whereas  eternal  security  is  a  doctrine  revealed  by 
God  in  the  inspired  Word. 

There  is  no  gainsaying  the  possibility  of  back¬ 
sliding  but  to  say  that  a  backslider,  even  in  his 
backsliding  state,  is  eternally  a  lost  man  is  quite 
another  proposition. 

No  man  can  rest  in  spirit  if  he  is  in  constant 
terror  of  eternal  damnation,  nor  is  it  possible  for 
a  person  unaided  to  keep  himself.  The  “Calvin¬ 
ist”  is  not  thereby  free  from  human  reasoning 
and  doubt,  and  to  be  an  “Arminian”  will  not  of 
necessity  bring  any  rest  in  the  revelation  and 
promises  of  God.  The  question  is  not  settled  by 
joining  a  party.  Salvation  can  only  be  appre- 


The  Backslider 


175 


hended  super  naturally,  not  by  unaided  reason  and 
knowledge,  so  let  us  4 ‘to  the  law  and  the  testi¬ 
monies.” 

I:  SAFETY  IS  NOT  IN  MEEE  PROFESSION 

As  already  stated,  man  is  not  to  be  the  judge 
as  to  the  genuineness  of  another’s  profession  of 
faith  and  his  reception  of  eternal  life. 

1.  We  are  told  that  there  are  about  twenty-five 
of  the  so-called  “insecurity  passages”  that  have 
been  used  to  throw  doubt  upon  the  keeping  power 
of  God.  This  has  been  done  by  misinterpretation 
chiefly,  or  else  by  omitting  the  entire  context  and 
overlooking  the  much  greater  body  of  Scripture 
in  which  absolute  security  is  promised.  Never 
allow  human  reason  to  place  an  “if”  before  the 
“verily”  of  God’s  testimony. 

Such  a  passage  as  Matt.  24:13  is  addressed  to 
Israel  only  and  has  to  do  with  a  coming  dispensa¬ 
tion  entirely.  So  also  Matt.  18 :  23-25.  Very  much 
of  2  Thess.,  2  Tim.,  2  Peter,  2  and  3  John  and  Jude 
have  to  do  with  “last  days,”  and  the  tribulations 
there  mentioned  have  to  do  with  Israel  as  a  nation 
and  not  to  do  with  the  individual  believer.  False 
teachers  are  never  said  to  be  saved  and  Jude  tells 
us  that  they  “have  not  the  spirit,”  hence  are  not 
saved. 

The  Master’s  parable  (Luke  11:24-26)  of  the 
unclean  man  and  the  returning  evil  spirits  has 


176  Personal  Evangelism 

to  do  with  moral  reformation  and  does  not 
describe  the  born-again  man  at  all. 

2.  Christian  profession  is  proven  by  its  fruits 
(1  John  3:10)  and  one  does  not  “endure”  in 
order  to  be  saved  but  because  he  is  saved  (John 
8:31).  Proof  that  one  is  saved  is  not  to  be  found 
in  sinless  perfection  but  rather  in  a  “new  life” 
process  at  work  in  the  believer.  Election  is  of  God 
(Rom.  8:29)  but  the  saints  are  to  give  evidence 
of  that  election  (2  Peter  1:10)  and  the  true  chil¬ 
dren  of  God  are  to  suffer  not  that  they  may  become 
children  but  in  their  remaining  as  such. 

The  believer  is  to  “abide”  but  it  is  the  false 
pretender  (see  also  James  2:14-26)  who  abides 
not  and  is  to  be  gathered  as  the  dead  branches. 

The  believer  may  lose  his  rewards  and  walk  in 
darkness  and  will  be  chastened.  Much  discussion 
centers  about  the  word  “Castaway”  (1  Cor. 
9:  27),  to  be  rejected,  become  refuse  or  worthless. 
Its  use  in  this  passage  is  negative  and  to  give  it 
the  severest  possible  meaning — “cast  off  forever” 
— is  to  ignore  the  context  and  to  bring  it  into  op¬ 
position  to  God’s  great  purpose  and  power  in  sal¬ 
vation.  Such  use  is  to  choose  a  meaning  remote 
and  unusual  to  its  usage  elsewhere  in  Scripture. 

Christian  fellowship  may  be  lost  but  that  does 
not  mean  the  loss  of  salvation,  compare  1  John 
1:6  and  9.  For  this  loss  Christians  are  to  be 
chastened  (1  Cor.  11:29-32).  “Falling  from 
grace”  (Gal.  5:1-4)  is  to  depart  from  the  liberty 


The  Backslider 


177 


one  has  in  Christ.  Many  have  never  known  the 
fulness  of  that  liberty,  but  some,  alas,  who  have 
known  its  fulness  have  returned  to  the  yoke  and 
bondage  of  law  observance.  Merit  is  not  assured 
from  God  by  this  process. 

3.  We  dare  to  assert  that  there  is  no  Scripture, 
rightly  divided  and  taken  with  the  whole  testi¬ 
mony  of  God,  that  teaches  that  a  Christian,  a  true 
believer,  can  ever  be  lost.  Nor  is  there  a  sugges¬ 
tion  of  a  repetition  of  regeneration.  Saving  faith 
is  an  act.  Christ  died  that  sin  might  not  keep  us 
from  God. 

This  doctrine  does  not  license  people  to  sin,  for 
all  truly  born-again  persons  live  on  a  higher  plane 
than  before  that  occasion  in  their  lives. 

To  have  tasted  of  the  riches  of  grace  and  then 
to  prefer  to  be  lost  again  is  clear  evidence  of  in¬ 
sanity,  and  God  can  keep  even  the  unfortunate  who 
may  lose  his  reason. 

Converts  fail  because  (a)  “they  were  not  of 
us”  (1  John  2:19),  or  (b)  they  may  never  have 
been  taught  or  properly  shepherded  and  hence 
“walk  in  darkness”  (1  John  1:6).  Conversion  is 
a  human  act ;  being  born  again  is  of  God.  Refor¬ 
mation  and  an  appeal  to  be  identified  with  the 
church  is  not  and  cannot  be  substituted  for  sav¬ 
ing  grace. 


178 


Personal  Evangelism 


II :  THE  PUKPOSE  OF  GOD 

From  the  beginning  of  all  things  we  are  in  the 
purpose  of  God  (Rom.  8:  28,  29)  and  that  purpose 
is,  that  we  shall  be  transformed  into  his  likeness. 
See  also  1  John  3:2. 

God’s  power  is  sufficient,  even  that  power  that 
raised  our  Lord  (Eph.  1 : 19,  20). 

God’s  attitude  is  to  win  the  last  soul  he  has 
created.  Those  whom  he  saves  he  “justifies” 
(Rom.  5 :  8-10)  and  that  same  disposition  is  to  keep 
that  which  he  saved  (John  10:29;  17:6,9,11). 
Who  dares  to  say  that  God  will  fail  to  answer  the 
intercession  of  his  Son?  Sin  is  not  above  the 
blood  and  by  the  Spirit  we  are  “sealed”  (Eph. 
4:30).  There  are  no  human  conditions  but  that 
of  believing,  set  upon  such  promises  as  John  5 :  24, 
6 :  37,  10 :  28,  29,  or  Rom.  8 :  28,  29. 

To  deny  this  doctrine  is  to  challenge  the  char¬ 
acter  of  God  and  the  riches  of  his  grace.  It  im¬ 
plies  that  even  the  Son  in  whom  we  stand  may  fall. 

God  is  for  us  (Rom.  8:28,29)  and  has  freely 
given  us  “all  things.”  Dare  we  lay  anything  to 
the  charge  of  his  elect?  Who  shall  separate  us? 
Surely  none  of  the  outward  experiences  of  life 
that  are  mentioned  by  Paul. 

The  Apostle  Paul  twice  exclaims,  “I  am  per¬ 
suaded,”  2  Tim.  1 : 12  and  Rom.  4 :  21.  Those  who 
are  not  thus  persuaded  can  scarcely  claim  his  faith 
nor  honor  God’s  plain  testimony. 


The  Backslider 


179 


QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  meant  by  assurance?  By  the  eternal  security  of 
believers  ? 

2.  What  class  of  people  are  referred  to  in  Matt.  18 :  23-25 
and  24:13?  In  what  connection  can  they  be  applied  ? 

3.  To  what  does  Luke  11:  24-26  refer? 

4.  How  may  we  test  a  Christian’s  profession? 

5.  Explain  in  your  own  language  Paul’s  use  of  the  word 
“castaway.” 

6.  May  a  Christian  fall  from  grace?  Explain. 

7.  Why  do  professed  converts  so  often  fail? 

8.  Quote  and  apply  Romans  8 :  28. 

9.  What  power  is  working  in  us?  Quote  Scripture  to  prove. 

10.  Summarize  this  whole  doctrine  in  the  words  of  Paul. 


Chapter  IV 

Skeptics  and  Infidels 

At  the  outset  students  should  become  familiar 
with  the  meaning  of  the  terms  skeptic,  infidel, 
agnostic,  atheist,  and  theist.  Only  thus  will  they 
be  able  to  speak  of  and  to  deal  intelligently  with 
these  different  classes. 

Workers  with  these  classes  should  never  produce 
the  impression  of  poking  fun,  resorting  to  sarcasm 
and  anger  or  allow  any  heat  to  be  manifested. 
Argument,  as  such,  will  be  of  little  value. 

I:  THE  CARELESS  AND  TRIFLING  SKEPTIC 

Spend  but  little  time  with  such.  As  a  rule,  his 
skepticism  is  not  real  but  is  a  cloak  for  sin.  Use 
1  Cor.  1 : 18,  emphasizing  the  thought  that  he  is 
perishing.  Perhaps  all  you  can  do  is  to  quote 
God’s  word  and  leave.  To  this  class  the  gospel 
is  hidden  because  they  are  “blinded”  by  sin  (2 
Cor.  4:  3). 

Look  up  also  2  Thess.  1:7-9;  Mark  16:16;  2 

Thess.  2:10-12,  and  Ps.  14:1. 

180 


Skeptics  and  Infidels 


181 


II :  THE  SINCERE  SKEPTIC 

Doubt  is  natural,  and  never  is  it  alone  an  evi¬ 
dence  of  sin.  With  this  class  we  should  be  gentle 
and  patient — exceedingly  patient — but  persever¬ 
ing. 

1.  Begin  by  the  simple  but  direct  process  of 
ascertaining  what  it  is  that  the  skeptic  cannot  be¬ 
lieve  and  find  out  the  reason  why  he  or  she  cannot 
believe. 

All  knowledge  comes  by  being  obedient,  living 
up  to,  what  we  already  know.  The  great  test  of 
Christianity  is,  “Will  it  work?”  “Does  it  do  in 
the  life  of  the  believer  what  is  claimed  for  it?” 
Does  the  skeptic  accept  the  fact  that  there  is  a 
fundamental  difference  between  right  and  wrong? 
Does  he  believe  in  God?  Does  he  accept  any  por¬ 
tion  of  the  Bible  ?  In  the  affirmative  answer  to  any 
of  these  questions  we  will  have  a  clew  that  will 
lead  to  the  light  if  followed  to  the  ultimate  con¬ 
clusion,  fearlessly  and  honestly. 

2.  The  Gospel  of  John  (20:31)  was  written 
that  men  might  believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ, 
the  Son  of  God.  In  that  Gospel  there  are  more 
’than  one  hundred  verses  that  if  taken  and  hon¬ 
estly  treated  will  help  to  bring  knowledge  to  the 
skeptic.  John  7 : 17  will  greatly  help  the  agnostic 
if  he  be  honest  and  sincere.  Dr.  Torrey  tells 
of  using  this  verse  with  the  following  pledge  in 
the  case  of  a  university  professor,  who,  having 


182  Personal  Evangelism 

thus  put  himself  in  the  way  of  truth,  soon  be¬ 
came  a  firm  believer. 

“I  believe  there  is  an  absolute  difference  be¬ 
tween  right  and  wrong,  and  1  hereby  take  my  stand 
upon  the  right  to  follow  it  wherever  it  leads  me. 
I  promise  to  make  an  honest  search  to  find  if  J esus 
Christ  is  the  Son  of  God ,  and  if  1  find  that  he  is, 
1  promise  to  accept  him  as  my  Savior  and  to  con¬ 
fess  him  as  such  before  the  world.” 

Men  know  instinctively  that  there  is  a  God  and 
they  also  know  that  there  is  an  absolute  difference 
between  right  and  wrong.  With  that  as  a  postu¬ 
late  we  dare  challenge  them  to  try  God,  so  to 
speak.  Ask  them  if  they  know  to  a  certainty  that 
God  does  not  answer  prayer.  A  scientific  and 
honest  method  of  research  is  to  pray,  “0  God,  if 
there  be  a  God,  show  me  whether  Jesus  is  thy  Son 
or  not,  and  if  you  show  me  that  he  is,  I  promise  to 
accept  him  as  my  Savior  and  to  confess  him  be¬ 
fore  the  world.’ ’ 

Honest  skeptics  are  interesting  and  an  easy  class 
with  which  to  work. 


in:  SPECIAL,  CLASSES  OF  SKEPTICS 

1.  Naturally  the  first  for  us  to  consider  is  that 
class  who  doubt  the  existence  of  God. 

“Because  that  which  may  be  (is)  known  of  God 
is  ma/nifest  (made  to  be  seen)  in  them;  for  God 


Skeptics  and  Infidels  183 

hath  showed  it  unto  them .  For  the  invisible  things 
of  him  from  {since)  the  creation  of  the  world  are 
clearly  seen  {to  see  with  the  mind)  being  under¬ 
stood  {comprehended)  by  the  things  that  are 
made,  even  his  eternal  power  and  Godhead ;  so 
that  they  are  without  excuse  {a  voluntary  depar¬ 
ture)  .  .  .  Professing  themselves  to  be  wise,  they 
became  fools”  {Romans  1:19-22). 

It  is  man  who  goes  into  the  dark,  eclipsing  him¬ 
self  from  God,  because  of  sin.  Nature  proclaims 
God  (Ps.  19:1,  2).  History  and  Providence  can 
only  be  explained  on  the  hypothesis  of  God.  Man¬ 
kind  of  all  races  and  degrees  of  culture  rely  upon 
the  fact  of  God.  The  Bible  assumes  him  to  be 
and  proclaims  his  revelation.  It  tells  us  who  it  is 
that  says  there  is  no  God  (Ps.  14:1). 

There  is  no  such  thing  as  a  happy  or  a  satisfied 
atheist  or  skeptic.  The  soul  can  only  find  rest  in 
God  and  the  intellect  exclaims  with  Kepler,  “Let 
me  think  Thy  thoughts  after  Thee,  0  God.” 

If  we  meet  the  objection  “I  cannot  believe,” 
show  the  skeptic  that  the  faith  demanded  of  him 
is  the  same  as  that  which  he  uses  in  his  daily  life, 
in  business,  social  and  domestic  relations,  the  only 
difference  being  in  the  object  of  his  faith.  God 
tells  us  what  we  are  to  do  (1  John  1:8-10;  John 
3:18,19,36).  To  remove  the  curse  of  sin  he 
“gave”  his  Son  (a  sinless  substitute,  Gal.  3:13; 
2  Cor.  5:21;  1  Peter  2 : 24),  and  all  we  have  to  do 


184  Personal  Evangelism 

is  to  accept  and  believe.  (See  John  5:24  and 
1  John  5:9-10.)  Study  carefully  John  7:17; 
Psalms  8 : 1,  3  and  33 :  6. 

2.  Doubters  of  the  Bible  as  the  word  of  God. 
Much  the  same  method  should  be  followed  here 
as  that  just  suggested.  Men  will  accept  God  and 
Jesus,  the  human  Jesus,  as  God’s  Son,  and  yet 
deny  the  inerrancy  of  the  Bible  and  its  unique 
inspiration.  Man’s  unbelief  does  not  alter  the 
facts  (Rom.  2:  3,  4).  Nowhere  does  the  Bible  de¬ 
fend  itself,  nor  is  there  need  that  it  should. 

Jesus  sets  his  testimony  as  to  the  accuracy  and 
authority  of  the  Old  Testament  (Matt.  5:18;  John 
10:35),  and  he  dealt  with  each  of  the  divisions 
of  that  Book  that  were  made  by  the  Jews.  We 
also  have  his  testimony  as  to  the  authority  of  the 
New  Testament  (John  14:  26,  16: 12, 13),  and  Paul 
claims  for  his  words. the  authority  of  the  “word  of 
God”  (1  Thess.  2: 13).  Look  up  and  study  care¬ 
fully  2  Peter  1:21;  2  Tim.  3:16;  2  Cor.  2:14  R. 
V. ;  John  8:47;  Rom.  3:3,  4;  1  John  5:10,  and 
Luke  16 :  30,  31.  The  case  of  the  man  who  refuses 
to  listen  to  the  Bible  is  indeed  desperate. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  should  we  always  endeavor  to  avoid  in  dealing  with 
skeptics  ¥ 

2.  Define  the  words  agnostic,  skeptic,  infidel,  atheist  and 
theist. 

3.  How  should  you  deal  with  the  trifling  and  careless  skeptic  ? 


185 


Skeptics  and  Infidels 

4.  How  is  all  knowledge  acquired? 

5.  Quote  John  7 : 17. 

6.  Give  the  gist,  in  your  own  words,  of  Dr.  Torrey’s  chal¬ 
lenge  to  the  unbeliever. 

7.  What  is  the  scientific  method  of  research? 

8.  What  are  some  of  the  evidences  we  have  of  the  existence 
of  God? 

9.  How  would  you  help  one  who  says,  “I  cannot  believe”? 

10.  State  quite  fully  how  you  would  go  about  replying  to  the 
skeptic  who  doubts  that  the  Bible  is  the  word  of  God. 

11.  Quote  2  Peter  1 :  21  and  2  Timothy  3 : 16. 


Chapter  V 

Skeptics  (Concluded) 

The  deity  and  resurrection  of  Jesus  and  the 
question  of  future  punishment  of  unbelievers  are 
perhaps  the  most  frequent  forms  of  skepticism  the 
personal  worker  has  to  meet. 

Seldom  will  the  worker  be  able  to  go  over  all  of 
the  ground,  in  detail,  here  outlined,  still  a  familiar¬ 
ity  with  the  facts  will  prepare  the  evangelist,  and 
the  Holy  Spirit  will  direct  him  how  to  make  proper 
answer  (John  14:26;  Luke  12:12). 

i:  THE  SCRIPTURAL  PROOF  OF  THE  DEITY  OF 

JESUS  CHRIST 

(See  “The  Cross  Reference  Bible.”) 

1.  His  own  testimony  and  claims  (John  7 : 29, 
8:12-21). 

2.  His  pre-existence  (Mic.  5:2;  1  Cor.  10:4; 
John  1 : 1,  3;  Col.  1:17;  1  John  2 : 14). 

3.  His  equality  with  God  (John  5:17;  Phil. 
2:5,6;  Heb.  1:3,4). 

4.  He  is  called  God  (Isa.  7: 14;  Acts  20:  28). 

5.  He  is  called  the  “Son”  of  God. 

(a)  At  his  baptism  (Matt.  3 : 17). 

(b)  At  the  Transfiguration  (Matt.  17:5). 

186 


Skeptics  187 

6.  He  calls  himself  “The  Son  of  God”  (Matt. 
11:27). 

7.  He  is  confessed  to  be  the  Son  of  God  by: 

(a)  The  angel  Gabriel  (Luke  1:  32). 

(b)  John  the  Baptist  (John  1:29). 

(c)  The  Gadarene  demoniac  (Matt. 

8:29). 

(d)  The  unclean  spirits  (Mark  3:11). 

(e)  The  disciples  (Matt.  14:33). 

(f)  Peter,  Matt.  16:16;  Paul,  Acts  9:5, 

22 : 10. 

8.  The  miracles  of  Jesns  attest  his  claims,  and 
over  and  over  he  calls  God  his  Father. 

9.  In  addition  to  this  there  are  offices  ascribed 
to  him  that  only  God  can  fulfill  (Heb.  1 :  3, 10). 

10.  He  is  to  be  worshiped  (Heb.  1:6)  and  he 
claims  honor  the  same  as  God  (John  5 :  22,  23). 

11.  We  are  taught  that  he  who  denies  this  truth 
is  a  “liar”  (1  John  5:1,5),  and  that  this  makes 
God  a  liar  also  (1  John  5: 10-12).  The  man  who 
thus  deliberately  lies  places  himself  in  danger  of 
the  most  severe  punishment  (Heb.  10:  28,  29). 

12.  But  perhaps  the  greatest  testimony  to  the 
deity  of  Christ  and  the  world’s  most  stupendous 
miracle  is  the  resurrection  of  our  Lord. 

No  historical  fact  or  event  is  so  well  attested. 
Had  Jesus  been  only  an  humble  Galilean  peasant, 
would  the  calendar  have  been  changed  because 
he  died?  Would  the  martyrs  have  gone  forth  to 
the  stake  for  a  myth?  Would  Saul  have  become 


188  Personal  Evangelism 

Paul  just  to  go  cheerfully  to  his  life  of  privation 
and  suffering  had  he  not  met  the  Lord  on  the 
Damascus  road!  Paul  actually  saw  the  risen 
Jesus  and,  later,  when  giving  his  evidence  (1  Cor. 
15)  he  speaks  of  over  five  hundred  then  living 
who  had  seen  the  Lord  subsequent  to  his  Cross 
and  Tomb  experience.  This  question  is  not  one 
of  theology  but  one  of  fact  as  to  the  credibility  of 
the  actual  witnesses. 

Finally  there  is  the  evidence  of  experience.  The 
Christian  church  is  no  illusion  nor  are  its  mem¬ 
bers,  numbered  by  the  millions,  all  self-deceived. 
The  individual  may  know  if  he  is  but  willing  to 
‘ ‘ believe,’ ’  and  in  believing  will  soon  have  the  in¬ 
ward  experience  of  the  new  and  transforming  life 
(John  5:24). 

II :  THE  QUESTION  OF  FUTURE  PUNISHMENT 

None  are  so  blind  as  those  who  refuse  to  see. 
Until  a  man  becomes  a  believer,  accepts  Christ 
as  the  Son  of  God,  there  is  but  little  to  be  gained 
by  discussing  this  question  with  him. 

Christian  cults  make  a  strong  appeal  to  those 
who  are  but  shallow  thinkers,  doubt  the  Word,  or 
are  anxious  to  indulge  some  sin  or  form  of  dis¬ 
obedience,  by  thus  denying  the  doctrine  of  the 
conscious,  endless  suffering  of  lost  men  and 
women. 

Sympathy  must  not  run  away  with  a  judgment 


Skeptics  189 

that  is  based  upon  the  word  of  God.  God’s  love 
is  not  effeminate  or  weak.  He  is  both  “love”  and 
at  the  same  time  “just,”  one  quite  as  emphati¬ 
cally  as  the  other. 

Such  skepticism  seeks  to  differentiate  between 
the  words  “death”  and  “destruction,”  teaching 
either  the  utter  annihilation  of  the  unbeliever  in 
the  hereafter,  or  else  a  sort  of  Nirvana  or  non- 
conscious  existence.  The  word  “perdition”  (Rev. 
17:8,  19:20)  is  elsewhere  translated  destruction 
and  it  is  a  place  of  conscious  punishment.  See 
Rev.  20 : 10, 15.  The  reward  and  punishment  of 
Matt.  25:41-46  are  alike  “eternal.”  See  Am. 
R.  V. 

The  fact  is  that  the  only  authentic  indication  or 
accurate  description  we  have  as  to  the  future  state 
of  the  unbeliever  falls  from  the  lips  of  the  most 
compassionate  of  men — Jesus. 

If  his  language  (Matt.  25  and  Luke  16:23-26) 
be  but  figurative  or  symbolical  may  we  be  saved 
from  ever  experiencing  the  grim  reality. 

The  thing  most  to  be  feared  is  not  hell,  but  the 
one  who  has  power  to  take  his  disciples  with  him  to 
that  place  of  abode  (Luke  12:5)  that  has  been 
prepared  for  him  and  his  followers  (Matt.  25 :  41), 
a  place  not  prepared  for  man. 

No  amount  of  skepticism  of  the  Word  on  these 
questions  has  ever  shaken  the  record  nor  have  the 
most  bitter  assailants  ever  been  able  to  detect  one 
flaw  or  change  one  of  these  facts  (Matt.  5: 18). 


190  Personal  Evangelism 

Jesus  makes  a  significant  suggestion,  in  telling 
the  story  of  the  conscious  future  separation  of 
the  saved  and  the  unsaved,  when  he  says  that  if 
one  were  to  come  from  the  dead  men  would  refuse 
to  believe  or  to  repent  (Luke  16:30,31).  The 
greatest  difficulty  in  all  of  these  matters  can  be 
found  in  the  one  word  sin. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  From  memory  outline  the  evidence  we  have  as  to  the 
deity  of  Christ. 

2.  Have  you  looked  up  all  the  references  suggested  in  this 
lesson  ? 

3.  What  is  the  greatest  evidence  we  have  in  this  whole 
matter  ? 

4.  What  testimony  did  God  give? 

5.  What  are  some  of  the  evidences  we  have  of  the  resur¬ 
rection  ? 

6.  Where  do  we  get  our  most  accurate  information  as  to  hell  ? 

7.  What  does  Jesus  indicate  that  place  to  be? 

8.  Wherein  does  symbolic  language  differ  from  a  description  ? 

9.  Whom  are  we  warned  to  fear  and  why? 

10.  What  is  the  greatest  single  cause  we  have  for  skepticism? 


Chapter  VI 
Procrastinators 

This  class  of  persons  is  easily  one  of  the  most 
difficult  with  which  the  personal  evangelist  will 
have  to  deal.  Not  from  the  nature  of  the  objec¬ 
tions  raised,  arguments  offered  or  false  ideas  en¬ 
tertained,  hut  due  to  the  fact  that  the  procrasti¬ 
nator  is  so  hard  to  move.  He  offers  silly,  inane 
“excuses”  and  makes  promises  of  future  action 
hut  still  fails  to  act. 

“Whatsoever  ye  do,  do  it  heartily,  as  to  the 
Lord  and  not  to  men”  (Col.  3:23). 

“Because  thou  art  lukewarm,  and  neither  hot 
nor  cold,  I  will  spue  thee  out  of  my  mouth”  (Bev. 
3:16). 

The  self-satisfied,  egotistic,  self-righteous,  care¬ 
less,  weak,  backslider,  inconsistent,  or  the  hard¬ 
ened,  are  all  within  the  realm  of  the  indifferent  one 
who  procrastinates. 

Men  are  absorbed  in  other  things.  They  want 
others — their  children  perhaps,  to  be  religious  and 
active  in  church  matters.  They  are  not  opposed, 
but  they  either  “have  no  time”  or  else  are  “going 
to”  do  their  duty  some  day.  Pleasure  is  another 
snare  used  by  the  devil  to  get  men  to  answer, 

191 


192  Personal  Evangelism 

“Time  enough  yet.”  The  devil’s  best  plan  is  not 
to  deny  hell  and  future  punishment  but  to  con¬ 
vince  men  that  “there  is  no  hurry;  to-morrow 
will  do.” 


i:  ATTENTION 

Good  salesmanship  consists  of  approach,  atten¬ 
tion,  desire  and  decision,  and  hence  the  first  thing 
needed  is  to  get  such  people  to  think ;  to  gain  their 
attention.  Appeal  to  them  on  the  ground  of  their 
opportunity  for  service.  Startle  them  by  facts, 
give  them  something  to  read,  reveal  to  them  their 
obligations  that  grow  out  of  the  marvelous  bless¬ 
ings  and  mercy  of  God. 

Reveal  to  them  the  real  values  of  life  as  sug¬ 
gested  in  Matt.  21 :  37,  38.  Show  them  that  it  is 
not  criminal  acts  by  which  they  stand  condemned 
but  the  sin  of  neglect  and  a  lost  opportunity.  Ap¬ 
peal  to  them  on  the  grounds  of  the  home  and 
patriotism.  Many  an  indifferent  procrastinator 
has  been  moved  through  a  recognition  of  his  duty 
to  his  home,  perhaps  his  son  in  particular.  Oft- 
times  it  will  be  a  striking* sentence  like  one  spoken 
to  a  father:  “You  cannot  expect  to  have  your  son 
a  better  man  than  you  are  unless  you  lead  him  to 
a  higher  life.”  Sometimes  it  is  a  Scripture  pas¬ 
sage  like,  “Prepare  to  meet  thy  God,”  or  one 
similar. 

Some  men  are  physically  indiff erent ;  lazy  men- 


Procrastinators 


193 


tally  and  morally,  as  well  as  physically.  Only  the 
Spirit  of  God  can  jar  the  “common  herd  who  only 
sleep  and  feed,”  and  change  their  attitude  along 
this  or  any  other  line. 

The  impure  or  indulgent  life  will  cause  care¬ 
lessness,  indifference  and  procrastination.  Such 
men  need  a  touch  of  divine  power  like  a  dash  of 
cold  water,  either  of  reproof  or  executed  justice, 
to  cause  them  to  face  themselves  and  really  to 
think. 


II :  SOME  EXCUSES 

1.  Business  first:  Jesus  gave  us  a  plan  of  life 
(Matt.  6:  33),  emphasizing  that  the  first  responsi¬ 
bility  and  duty  of  man  is  to  God.  He  also  illus¬ 
trates  this  fact  by  the  parable  of  the  Rich  Fool 
(Luke  12 : 16-21).  It  wilhbe  wise  to  ask  the  ques¬ 
tion,  ‘  ‘  Suppose  you  do  succeed  in  business,  are  you 
sure  you  will  then,  more  than  now,  turn  to  God  for 
salvation?”  The  Apostle  James  drives  home  the 
same  idea  (Jas.  4:13-17),  by  showing  that  man 
may  be  cut  off  in  the  midst  of  his  seeking.  The 
part  of  wisdom  is  instant  action;  even  so  in  busi¬ 
ness  or  battle,  “He  who  hesitates  is  lost.” 

2.  When  1  get  older:  Eccles.  12:1-2  and  Heb. 
2 : 13.  Habits  are  formed  in  the  early  years  of 
life  and  are  exceedingly  difficult  to  change  or 
adjust  late  in  life.  The  youth  is  the  twig  easily 
bent.  Modern  psychology  seems  to  indicate  a 


194  Personal  Evangelism 

greater  nearness,  tenderness  and  susceptibility 
to  things  religious  on  the  part  of  the  young. 

Think  also  of  the  meanness  of  one  who  lives  for 
self  all  of  his  best  years  and  then  offers  God  the 
fag-end  of  life.  “Oh,”  but  such  an  one  says,  “I 
shall  become  a  Christian  before  I  die.”  This 
ignores  the  fact  that  God  asks  for  and  is  deserving 
of  our  service.  Men  die  “suddenly”  (Prov.  29:1) 
as  we  see  daily,  and  men  are  not  all  penitent  at 
the  end  of  their  lives  (Luke  23 :  39).  Most  men  die 
as  they  have  lived  and  deathbed  repentances  are 
far  from  dependable.  Few  men  die  in  full  pos¬ 
session  of  their  senses.  Fear  is  not  the  best  mo¬ 
tive  to  lead  to  conversion  and  there  is  great  danger 
that  in  seeking  God  at  such  time  he  may  not  be 
found  (Isa.  55 :  6). 

3.  It’s  too  late  now:  This  has  really  been  con¬ 
sidered  elsewhere.  (Part  Three,  Chapter  III.) 
Look  up  1  Sam.  6 :  6  and  Heb.  4 : 7. 


Ill:  TESTIMONY 

If  we  can  get  the  indifferent  or  procrastinating 
man  to  listen  to  the  tale  of  some  “twice-born” 
men,  we  will  be  doing  him  a  great  service.  Get 
such  persons  to  read  Harold  Begbie’s  book  of  that 
title. 

Environment  and  companions  ofttimes  hinder. 
No  one  wants  to  be  termed  a  “prig”  or  a  “hypo¬ 
crite”  and  the  fear  of  such  a  designation  fre- 


Procrastinators 


195 


quently  holds  men  back  from  a  confession  of  faith 
and  church  membership.  Show  such  persons  some 
genuine  men  of  faith  and  instinctively  they  will 
give  heed.  Study  your  man.  Plan  a  campaign 
for  his  soul.  Pray  unceasingly  and  adapt  God’s 
Word  to  his  need. 


QUESTIONS 


1.  Quote  Col.  3 :  23. 

2.  What  classes  of  men  procrastinate? 

3.  What  are  the  four  points  of  good  salesmanship? 

4.  What  motive  is  first  suggested? 

5.  Why  is  the  appeal  of  the  home  so  powerful? 

6.  Quote  Matt.  6 :  33  and  locate  the  parable  of  the  Rich  Fool. 

7.  What  is  the  gist  of  James’  argument  along  this  line? 

8.  How  will  you  reply  to  one  who  wants  to  wait  until  he  is 
older  ? 

9.  What  is  one  of  the  strongest  appeals  to  action  we  can 
make? 

10.  Quote  Isa.  55 :  6. 


Chapter  VII 

Special  Evangelistic  Opportunities 

We  desire  to  digress  somewhat  and  call  atten¬ 
tion  to  some  special  forms  of  evangelism  that,  if 
accompanied  by  wise  personal  effort,  will  yield 
large  returns. 

It  is  not  enough  to  have  our  churches  open  three 
or  four  times  during  the  week.  The  many  empty 
pews  are  a  sufficient  evidence  that  a  vast  majority 
of  the  population  is  not  being  reached.  We  are 
therefore  under  the  obligation  (Matt.  28:19,  20; 
Luke  14:23)  to  go  after  the  unsaved  singly  and 
in  small  groups  as  well,  wherever  they  can  be 
reached. 


I:  STREET  MEETINGS 

1.  The  need .  Every  sort  of  interest,  political, 
commercial  or  a  false  cult,  resorts  to  the  street 
corner  for  its  proclamation.  Even  the  Roman 
Church  has  recently  held  a  conference  and  defi¬ 
nitely  set  one  of  its  orders  of  priests  at  this-  work, 
giving  special  training  for  the  same. 

2.  Our  example .  The  Master  did  much  of  his 
work  “  under  the  blue  canopy  of  heaven.  ”  His 
followers  have  emulated  his  example.  Some  of 

196 


Special  Evangelistic  Opportunities  197 

the  greatest  evangelists  were  open  air  workers; 
men  like  Wesley  and  Finney.  It  is  an  exceedingly 
effective  method  as  countless  numbers  can  testify. 
“ Billy’ ’  Sunday  was  reached  for  God  in  an  open- 
air  meeting  held  on  the  streets  of  Chicago. 

3.  Preparation,  (a)  Permission  must  first  be 
secured  from  town  or  city  authorities.  This  not 
only  gives  the  right  to  hold  the  meeting,  but  in-' 
sures  proper  protection. 

(b)  Place.  A  wise  selection  is,  first,  where  the 
greatest  number  of  persons  are ;  second,  with  some 
building  in  front  of  the  speaker,  and  third,  where 
the  voice  will  not  be  thrown  against  the  wind  or 
drowned  by  cars,  trucks,  railway  trains  or  other 
interruptions. 

(c)  Persons.  Select  and  secure  speakers  well 
in  advance  of  the  time  of  the  meeting.  Have  them 
slightly  elevated  either  on  a  chair,  platform  or 
truck.  Let  them  be  careful  to  avoid  arguments 
and  be  sure  to  preach  the  plan  of  salvation.  Use 
good  music,  instrumental  in  preference.  Do  not 
use  a  Bible  ostentatiously.  Let  public  prayers  be 
few  and  pointed  and  be  sure  to  call  for  a  manifes¬ 
tation  of  decisions.  Patiently  follow  up  the  meet¬ 
ing  by  personal  workers  mingling  with  the  crowd, 
a  wise  use  of  tracts  and  the  securing  of  names  and 
addresses  of  those  who  seem  most  interested,  turn¬ 
ing  such  information  over  to  the  churches. 


198 


Personal  Evangelism 


III  SHOP  MEETINGS 

1.  This  is  not  a  church  service ,  a  public  forum 
nor  a  drill  ground  for  raw  recruits.  It  is  an  as¬ 
semblage  of  men  and  women  who  may  hold  differ¬ 
ent  religious  views  but  healthy  home-loving  folk, 
chiefly  of  common  school  education  only,  and  80  to 
90  per  cent  of  the  men  being  lodge  or  union  mem¬ 
bers.  The  men  are  quite  generally  profane,  desire 
recreation  and  hence  do  not  religiously  observe 
the  Sabbath.  Many  are  church  members  and  all 
are  interested  in  the  economic  problems  of  our 
country. 

2.  How  to  organize.  Frankly  explain  to  both 
owners  and  employees  what  your  aim  and  method 
are.  Explain  time,  place,  character  of  meetings 
— in  fact  every  detail.  Then  put  up  an  honest 
sample  meeting.  Go  about  and  invite  attendance 
and  post  notices  the  day  before.  As  soon  as  it  is 
wise,  select  a  shop  committee  who  shall  look  after 
arrangements,  announcements,  introductions  and 
follow-up  work.  Have  the  meeting  regular  and 
be  prompt,  strictly  obeying  all  shop  rules;  never 
run  over  time. 

Be  sure  to  keep  your  promises.  Keep  the  meet¬ 
ing  going  avoiding  all  awkward  pauses.  Believe 
your  message.  Start  somewhere  and  get  some¬ 
where.  Expect  God  to  honor  his  word.  Don’t 
scold,  criticize  or  talk  down  to  your  audience. 
Avoid  reference  to  former  shop  experience  or  pay- 


Special  Evangelistic  Opportunities  199 

ing  cheap  compliments  to  lodges  and  unions  and 
churches.  Do  not  take  too  many  workers  or  try 
to  pull  oft  stunts.  Even  a  sacred  concert  is  not  a 
shop  meeting.  A  series  of  sermons  will  not  pro¬ 
duce  as  good  results  as  a  series  of  Bible  lessons 
on  the  life  of  Christ. 

To  change  speakers  every  week  will  weaken  the 
effect  of  the  meeting  by  reason  of  the  comparison 
and  the  need  of  getting  acquainted  with  or  used 
to  each  new  speaker. 

Be  slow  about  urging  men  to  sing  or  lead  in 
prayer.  Your  results  will  not  be  by  show  of  hands. 
Do  not  “bother”  the  workers  nor  become  per¬ 
sonal.  Be  careful  of  a  frequent  use  of  “  I.  ” 

3.  Following  up.  A  successful  plan  is  for  one 
worker  to  go  to  the  same  place  regularly  for  a 
series  of  months  and  then  put  on  an  intensive  cam¬ 
paign  of  meetings  every  noon  for  a  week.  Bring 
in  for  this  service  a  new  voice  and  special  music. 
At  these  meetings,  “decision”  cards  can  be  dis¬ 
tributed  and  later  turned  over  to  the  churches  for 
further  following  up.  A  special  “shop  night” 
can  be  arranged  in  a  church  nearby  the  shop  where 
this  series  is  being  held,  and  a  strong  effort  made 
to  have  the  men  of  the  shop  (with  families  if  pos¬ 
sible)  to  attend. 


200 


Personal  Evangelism 

QUESTIONS 


1.  Why,  Scripturally,  are  we  under  obligation  to  follow 
special  forms  of  evangelistic  endeavor? 

2.  What  and  why  is  the  need  of  street  meetings? 

3.  Give  some  examples,  other  than  those  mentioned  in  this 
lesson,  of  open-air  workers. 

4.  Outline  the  needed  preparation. 

5.  What  is  a  shop  meeting? 

6.  What  classes  of  people  are  there  to  be  met? 

7.  Tell  how  to  organize  a  shop  meeting. 

8.  What  sort  of  a  message  is  needed? 

9.  Why  not  change  speakers  each  week? 

10.  Tell  something  about  the  following  up  of  this  work. 

11.  Did  you  ever  attend  a  shop  meeting?  Is  it  possible  to  hold 
one  in  your  community  in  a  shop,  lumber  camp,  or  other 
gathering  of  workers? 


Chapter  VIII 


Special  Evangelistic  Opportunities 
(Concluded) 

The  opportunities  for  evangelistic  appeal,  and 
the  doing  of  personal  work,  are  limited  only  by 
the  alertness  of  the  consecrated  worker.  Peter 
Cartwright  preached  all  over  the  American  fron¬ 
tier  in  the  early  pioneer  days.  H.  L.  Moody  held 
meetings  in  school  houses,  by  the  road-side,  in 
cornfields,  on  street  corners,  in  soldier  camps,  and 
hospitals.  “Sky  Pilot’ ’  Higgins  reached  nearly 
all  of  the  modern  lumber  camps  of  the  great 
Northwest,  and  Hr.  Grenfell  preached  and  prac¬ 
ticed  the  medical  art  throughout  the  fisherman 
camps  of  the  Labrador  coasts.  What  shall  we  say 
of  the  missionaries  who  so  often  put  us  to  shame 
by  the  way  they  have  overcome  and  are  overcom¬ 
ing  difficulties? 


I:  COLPORTAGE  WORK 

That  the  printed  page  is  of  value,  every  ad¬ 
vertisement  is  a  testimony.  The  flood  of  printed 
matter  being  put  forth  by  political  and  commercial 
interests  is  being  abundantly  emulated  by  every 
false  cult  or  “ism.” 


201 


202  Personal  Evangelism 

This  raises  the  question:  why  are  orthodox 
Christians  so  slow  to  make  use  of  this  well-known 
and  efficient  method  of  proclaiming  the  truth? 
The  answer  is  probably  in  the  fact  that  we  do  not 
really  feel  that  men  out  of  Christ  are  lost,  and 
have  been  lulled  into  a  spiritual  lethargy  by  the 
things  of  this  life,  or  else  the  prodigiousness  of 
the  Christian  program. 

1.  Books.  The  personal  worker  ought  to  get 
as  many  good  religious  books  read  as  possible. 
Mr.  Moody  spread  the  gospel  by  the  living  voice 
and  the  written  and  printed  page.  The  Spirit 
has  moved  men  to  write  and  even  cold  type  will 
often  burn  and  glow  with  the  passion  of  God’s 
love  for  sinning  men.  Through  the  printed  page 
many  “ being  dead,  yet  speak.”  Recently,  in  a 
lumber  camp,  fifty  men  were  each  given  a  copy 
of  John’s  gospel.  The  next  night  42  reported 
that  they  had  read  the  assigned  portion.  This  is 
in  line  with  the  work  of  the  Pocket  Testament 
League. 

In  using  the  “ written  ministry,”  be  sure  that 
all  that  is  offered  is  true  to  the  Word,  and  if  a 
charge  must  be  made,  be  sure  to  keep  it  within 
reason.  A  better  method  for  the  personal  worker 
is  to  buy  books  and  loan  them  to  the  one  you  are 
seeking  to  reach  for  Christ,  or  desiring  to  build  up 
in  the  faith. 

Pastors  and  workers  should  watch  carefully  the 
books  and  other  printed  matter  being  bought  by 


Special  Evangelistic  Opportunities  203 

unsuspecting,  careless,  or  too  easily  influenced 
church  members.  Much  that  is  vicious  is  thus 
distributed. 

2.  Leaflets  or  tracts .  The  indiscriminate  use 
of  tracts  by  zealous  but  unwise  workers  will  often 
destroy  their  usefulness.  But  choice  thoughts 
set  forth  in  such  a  brief  but  attractive  manner 
are  often  as  “a  nail  in  a  sure  place. ” 

Do  not  allow  our  prejudice  against  cheaply 
printed  and  poorly  written  tracts  to  prevent  the 
use  of  the  many  good  ones  that  can  easily  be  se¬ 
cured  from  tract  societies  and  denominational  pub¬ 
lishing  houses. 

A  tract  is  often  a  splendid  introduction,  a  way 
whereby  to  open  a  religious  conversation.  Ask  the 
question,  “Did  you  ever  read  this?”  or,  “Here’s 
something  I  think  you’ll  be  interested  in  reading.” 
Of  course,  carefully  and  prayerfully  select  the 
tract  and  the  one  to  whom  it  is  given. 

Sick  folk  will  read  during  convalescence. 
Housekeepers  can  hand  tracts  to  the  milk  man, 
grocer’s  boy  or  postman.  They  can  be  enclosed 
in  letters  even  as  business  firms  so  universally 
make  use  of  tract  advertisements.  Often  these 
silent  witnesses  will  rebuke  when  the  spoken  word 
will  fall  on  deaf  ears.  J.  Hudson  Taylor,  who 
founded  the  great  China-Inland  Mission,  was  con¬ 
verted  at  fifteen  years  of  age,  by  the  reading  of  a 
tract. 

Ofttimes  a  tract  will  remove  difficulties  and 


204  Personal  Evangelism 

bring  a  doubting  one  into  a  clear  conviction.  It 
is  said  that  the  present  Queen  Mary  of  England 
attributes  her  clear  conception  of  the  Christian 
faith  and  assurance  of  salvation  to  a  tract,  written 
by  an  unknown  English  evangelist,  entitled, 
“Safety,  Certainty  and  Enjoyment.” 

What  has  been  suggested  about  tracts  and  leaf¬ 
lets  is  true  also  of  letters.  The  late  Henry  Clay 
Trumbull  (“Individual  Work  for  Individuals”) 
relates  how  he,  as  a  young  railway  clerk,  was 
brought  to  his  knees  as  a  suppliant  for  mercy 
through  a  letter  reluctantly  sent  to  him  by  a  for¬ 
mer  college  classmate.  The  faithful  appeal,  the 
clear  but  hesitatingly  presented  way  of  life,  was 
the  beginning  of  what  proved  to  be  one  of  the  most 
signally  blessed  and  efficient  personal  workers  in 
America.  What  preaching  and  ordinary  methods 
of  church  work  had  failed  to  accomplish  was  done 
by  a  few  sentences  in  a  letter.  An  unknown,  bed¬ 
ridden  Christian,  using  the  mail  and  following  the 
city  directory  list  of  names  and  addresses,  enclos¬ 
ing  in  each  letter  prayerfully  and  wisely  selected 
tracts,  led  over  2,000  residents  of  Dublin  to  accept 
and  confess  Christ. 


QUESTIONS 

1.  Enumerate  at  least  one  dozen  places  outside  of  a  church 
house  where  you  have  known  religious  meetings  to  be  held 
and  personal  work  done. 

2.  Why  do  business  houses  use  so  much  printed  matter? 


Special  Evangelistic  Opportunities  205 

3.  Do  you  know  of  any  cases  where  a  religious  book  has  been 
used  to  bring  a  soul  into  the  light? 

4.  What  is  the  Pocket  Testament  League? 

5.  What  caution  is  suggested  as  to  the  contents  of  books  and 
tracts  ? 

6.  When  can  tracts  be  used? 

7.  What  is  the  value  of  letter  writing  as  a  means  of  doing 
personal  work? 

8.  Have  you  ever  used  tracts?  If  so,  give  briefly  your 
experience. 


Chapter  IX 

Hints  to  Workers 


For  the  wisest  and  most  comprehensive  instruc¬ 
tion  in  this  connection,  we  suggest  that  the#student 
make  a  careful  study  of  Chapter  XV  of  Dr.  B.  A. 
Torrey’s  book,  “How  to  Work  for  Christ.”  That 
this  instruction  is  not  theoretical,  I  can  testify 
from  years  of  personal  contact  and  observation  of 
Dr.  Torrey’s  work  as  teacher,  pastor  and  an  evan¬ 
gelist. 


I:  PREPARATION 

By  this  we  mean  the  evangelist’s  preparation 
of  heart  and  head  by  prayer  and  persevering 
study  of  the  Word  and  also  a  study  of  the  men 
to  be  reached. 

All  are  aware  of  the  care  needed  in  approaching 
wild  game.  Golf  players  know  the  difficulty  of 
the  approach  to  the  putting  green.  So  it  is  in 
going  after  human  souls,  in  being  “fishers  of 
men.”  We  need  to  “Pray  and  Plan.”  We  all 
know  our  failure  to  pray.  Let  us  begin  where  we 
have  failed ;  that  will  begin  success. 

Study  the  Word  and  the  man.  Know  men,  na- 

206 


Hints  to  Workers 


207 


ture  and  events  and  the  things  in  which  the  pros¬ 
pect  is  interested.  Avoid  a  ‘ 1  holy  tone”;  be  natu¬ 
ral  in  speaking  of  religion. 

Then  start.  Practice  will  make  perfect.  Re¬ 
member  that  an  “impulse”  or,  as  some  men  say 
— “a  hunch” — is  frequently  God’s  Spirit  urging 
action  on  our  part.  In  planning,  consider  the 
who,  how,  what,  when  and  where  of  it  all  and 
think  it  through.  Then  act,  relying  on  the 
Spirit  to  quicken  your  mind  and  teach  you  what 
to  say  (Luke  12:11,  12).  Have  a  saving  sense 
of  humor,  but  be  careful  that  you  are  not  de¬ 
feated  by  a  “funny  story.”  The  man  who  is 
noted  for  his  story  telling  primarily,  is  seldom 
noted  for  anything  else. 

Perseverance,  tact  and  frankness  are  three 
fundamental  elements  of  the  worker’s  success. 


ii  :  METHODS 

“Well  begun  is  half  done.”  Of  course  use  the 
Word,  but  let  it  be  in  a  natural  manner  and  not 
to  reveal  your  wisdom.  Use  Scripture  to  illustrate 
and  to  emphasize.  A  wise  conversationalist  does 
not  constantly  quote  the  words  of  others  with 
exactness  nor  always  locate  page  and  paragraph. 

Methods  are  but  the  skeleton  on  which  we  hang 
our  endeavor.  People  are  quick  to  see  the  ma¬ 
chinery  and  misjudge  motive. 

Plainly — we  are  to  avoid  making  an  exhibition 


208  Personal  Evangelism 

of  our  work.  Rather  we  are  to  lose  ourselves  in 
service. 

Do  not  get  into  arguments.  Strong  men  are  not 
so  won.  Let  the  Word  speak  and,  generally,  those 
most  ignorant  of  that  Word  most  desire  to  argue. 

Be  frank  and  avoid  fencing  or  beating  about  the 
bush.  It  is  a  wise  man  who  has  learned  what  not 
to  say. 

It  has  been  said  (“What  every  Christian  needs 
to  know” — H.  W.  Pope)  that  there  are  three  things 
to  remember:  (1)  That  the  Son  of  Man  came  to 
seek  and  to  save  that  which  was  lost  (John 
3  : 18-19 ;  Luke  19  : 10 ;  1  Cor.  2  : 14 ;  Eph.  4 : 18)  ; 
(2)  that  Christ  will  save  souls  through  you  if  you 
co-operate  with  him,  and  (3)  that  he  will  furnish 
all  needed  equipment.  Wisdom!  (James  1:5). 
Courage!  (John.  1:9).  Power!  (Matt.  28:18). 
Faith!  (Gal.  2: 20  l.c.).  There  are  also  three 
things  to  do:  (1)  Set  soul  winning  as  a  goal  of 
life;  (2)  cultivate  a  passion  for  souls;  (3)  begin 
and  continue  the  work  in  prayer  (1  Tim.  2 : 14). 

We  suggest  the  following:  Study  the  art  of 
directing  a  conversation  along  lines  of  your  own 
choosing.  Choose  the  opportune  time  and  place 
for  speaking  on  this  subject.  Be  keenly  alert  as 
one  who  is  responsible  if  souls  are  lost,  and  use 
cards,  do  favors  to,  or  otherwise  cultivate  your 
prospect. 


Hints  to  Workers 


209 


III:  HINTS  FOR  PERSONAL  EVANGELISTS 

(See  “How  to  Work  for  Christ.”) 

1.  As  a  rule,  choose  persons  to  deal  with  of 
your  own  group. 

2.  Choose  persons  of  about  your  own  age  or 
perhaps  younger. 

3.  Always,  if  possible,  deal  with  a  person  alone. 

4.  Rely  upon  the  Spirit  of  God  and  the  Word  of 
God.  Have  no  confidence  in  yourself. 

5.  Be  not  content  with  merely  reading  a  Scrip¬ 
ture  passage. 

6.  Usually  emphasize  or  use  hut  one  Scriptural 
passage.  Ho  not  scatter  your  ammunition. 

7.  Hold  the  person  with  whom  you  are  work¬ 
ing  to  the  main  point  of  accepting  Christ. 

8.  Be  courteous.  Avoid  selfishness  or  apparent 
superiority. 

9.  Do  not  he  familiar,  particularly  with  those 
who  are,  wholly  or  in  part,  strangers. 

10.  Be  in  earnest. 

11.  Never  lose  your  temper. 

12.  Avoid  heated  arguments. 

13.  Do  not  be  in  too  much  of  a  hurry. 

14.  Never  interrupt  another  worker. 

15.  Get  people  to  pray,  on  their  knees  if  pos¬ 
sible. 

16.  If  you  ever  fail,  go  home,  pray  and  study, 
but  do  not  give  up  because  of  apparent  failure. 

17.  When  leaving  one  who  has  accepted  Christ, 


210  Personal  Evangelism 

be  sure  to  give  definite  instructions  how  to  succeed 
in  the  Christian  life — (see  Part  Two,  Chapter 
VII). 

18.  Follow  up  all  who  accept  Christ.  Get  them 
into  church  membership  and  at  work  for  God. 

Let  us  add  that  personal  evangelism  is  not  ask¬ 
ing  people  to  be  baptized  and  to  join  a  church 
primarily.  Such  work  is  secondary  to  the  greater 
matter  of  accepting  eternal  life  in  Christ  and  con¬ 
fessing  faith  in  him  before  the  world. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  meant  by  preparation  in  doing  personal  work? 

2.  Why  is  the  approach  so  delicate  a  matter? 

3.  Having  planned  the  work,  what  is  the  next  requisite? 

4.  What  aid  are  we  promised  ?  Quote  Luke  12 : 11, 12. 

5.  What  are  three  fundamentals  of  our  success? 

6.  What  must  be  avoided? 

7.  What  three  things  must  we  remember? 

8.  Quote  John  3:18,19  and  Eph.  4:18. 

9.  Quote  James  1:5;  Josh.  1 : 19,  and  Matt.  28 : 18. 

10.  Enumerate  Dr.  Torrey’s  “Hints.” 


Chapter  X 

The  Evangelist’s  Devotional  Life 

It  ought  to  go  without  saying  that  the  personal 
evangelist  will  be  powerless  to  lead  others  to  a 
level  of  experience  that  is  any  higher  than  that 
upon  which  he  is  living.  Musical  instruments  need 
frequent  “tuning,”  a  checking  up  to  proper  pitch. 
So  the  worker  must  he  frequently  tuned,  or,  to  use 
another  figure,  he  will  need  fresh  oil  for  his  lamp, 
that  it  may  continue  to  shine  brightly. 

There  is  also  the  danger  that  the  worker  may 
experience  a  diminution  of  power.  It  must  have 
been  that  which  caused  the  Master  to  say  to  his 
disciples,  “Come  ye  apart  and  rest  awhile.” 
They  needed  fresh  power  even  as  the  body  gains 
strength  by  reason  of  the  night’s  rest.  A  proper 
balance  of  rest  and  work  needs  to  be  maintained. 
By  rest  we  do  not  mean  bodily  rest  alone,  though 
that  is  important.  Spiritual  dynamics  can  only 
come  from  spiritual  contact  and  there  is  much  to 
insulate. 


I:  THINGS  THAT  WILL  HELP 

1.  Systematic,  meditative  Bible  study.  Not 

merely  the  preparation  of  lessons  and  sermons  or 

211 


212  Personal  Evangelism 

to  meet  arguments.  Bible  study  for  the  enrich¬ 
ment  of  our  individual  lives.  Read  systematically 
and  take  time  to  meditate,  asking  the  Spirit  to 
interpret  to  your  own  heart,  without  commentary 
or  other  outside  help,  the  meaning  of  what  is  read. 
Search  for  the  many  gems  of  truth  and  blessing 
that  lie  outside  of  the  conventional  paths  of  Bible 
study. 

2.  A  prayer  spirit  and  program .  Far  too  many 
make  prayer  an  extra,  a  duty  that  must  be  per¬ 
formed.  It  ought  to  be  a  joy,  and,  without  the 
formality  of  forms  of  speech,  posture  of  body  or 
set  times  of  the  day,  we  ought  constantly  to  be 
lifting  up  to  him  our  every  care  and  perplexity. 
Not  alone  in  time  of  stress  and  need,  but  “with 
thanksgiving,  ’  ’  to  make  known  our  requests. 
Study  your  prayer  life  and  you  will  be  amazed 
at  its  poverty. 

3.  Faithfulness  to  church  service  and  duty . 
Every  really  successful  personal  worker  has  been 
a  loyal  church  member.  Not  from  a  sense  of  duty, 
but  with  joy  he  remembers  the  assembly  of  the 
servants  of  the  most  high.  No  Christian  is  strong 
who  neglects  the  service  of  worship  and  the  break¬ 
ing  of  bread.  We  learn  by  doing.  Life  is  largely 
a  matter  of  habit.  May  it  never  be  said  of  us,  “he 
has  attained” — but  rather  may  we  always  be 
“learning  through  service.” 

4.  Service  to  our  fellow  man .  Sam  Jones  once 
told  a  man,  who  said  he  could  not  find  God,  that 


The  Evangelist's  Devotional  Life  213 

if  lie  would  take  some  food  to  a  certain  godly 
widow  in  poor  circumstances  he  would  most 
likely  find  God  on  the  journey,  which  he  did.  The 
world  is  dying  for  lack  of  love,  and  service  ren¬ 
dered  in  the  Master’s  name  is  the  surest  way  to 
the  heart  of  the  non-Christian.  Such  service  stops 
the  mouth  of  the  critic.  Jesus  set  the  example 
(Matt.  23:11). 

The  Christian  worker’s  interest  must  he  as 
broad  as  that  of  his  Heavenly  Father  who  “so 
loved  the  world.”  The  worker’s  prayers  must  go 
out  for  all  men  everywhere  here  and  to  the 
“uttermost”  hounds  of  the  world.  He  must 
rejoice  in  the  blessing  of  all  who  win  victories 
in  the  name  and  to  the  glory  of  Christ. 

5.  Stewardship  of  life  and  money .  The  sup¬ 
port  of  Kingdom  interests  is  not  merely  a  “tith¬ 
ing”  program.  We  are  not  able  to  buy  the  favor 
of  the  Almighty  by  our  little  financial  transactions 
in  the  church.  The  Scriptural  teaching  as  to  our 
financial  policy  is  not  that  it  is  to  be  benevolence 
(good  will)  nor  beneficence  (doing  good,  charity), 
but  rather  stewardship,  the  holding  in  trust  for 
another  of  both  our  time  and  also  our  material 
possessions.  Some  Christian  workers  seem  to  go 
on  the  plan  of  doing  as  little  as  possible,  allowing 
others  to  pay  while  they  are  advantaged  thereby. 
Others  are  legalistic  and  with  rigid  scrupulousness 
“pay  their  debts”  to  God.  These  are  by  far 
“more  noble”  than  those  just  mentioned,  but  even 


214  Personal  Evangelism 

so  they  have  not  reached  the  highest  New  Testa¬ 
ment  standard.  That  standard  recognizes  that  the 
total  ownership  of  property,  things  and  time,  be¬ 
longs  to  God.  We  are  his  stewards,  and  to  pay 
the  tithe  does  not  give  us  title  to  the  other  nine- 
tenths  to  use  for  selfish  gratification.  The  seal  of 
God’s  gracious  approval  has  always  been  set  upon 
his  servants  who  have  recognized  this  principle 
and  been  governed  thereby.  Study  carefully  Luke 
16 : 1-31,  8  : 14,  14 : 12. 

6.  A  definite  and  clear  objective.  Too  much 
of  our  personal  work  and  other  Christian  activities 
is  aimed  at  nothing,  and  of  course  we  hit  what  we 
aim  at.  Personal  workers  should  keep  an  “up- 
to-the-minute”  list  of  likely  prospects;  a  prayer 
list  that  may  be  spread  before  the  Throne  daily 
will  tend  to  great  definiteness.  The  ignorance  of 
some  Christian  workers  regarding  the  spiritual 
state  of  those  they  meet  daily  is  scarcely  short  of 
being  criminal. 

A  canvass  of  a  neighborhood,  an  investigation 
of  a  Sunday  school  or  congregation  will  reveal  an 
abundance  of  material,  which  is  probably  just  wait¬ 
ing  and  wondering  why  we  are  so  indifferent. 

7.  Perseverance .  The  man  who  seems  to  have 
captured  a  majority  of  our  professed  Christians  is 
Gen.  “I.  M.  Goingto.”  Procrastination  steals  not 
only  time  but  souls  as  well.  The  way  to  do  a  thing 
is  to  do  it.  The  greatest  piece  of  diplomacy  the 
devil  ever  successfully  employed  is  to  get  workers 


The  Evangelist's  Devotional  Life  215 

to  say,  “some  other  time,”  or  “time  enough  yet.” 

8.  Absolute  reliance  upon  the  Holy  Spirit . 
Workers  must  ever  remember  that  this  work  is 
a  supernatural,  a  spiritual  endeavor.  To  go  out 
in  the  energy  of  the  flesh,  relying  upon  human 
wisdom,  is  to  go  to  certain  defeat.  This  does  not 
mean  a  mock  humility  nor  cringing  servility. 
Such  an  attitude  is  as  detrimental  as  that  over- 
confidence  we  sometimes  see  manifested,  or  the 
boasting  of  human  accomplishments. 

Let  your  boldness  be  in  believing  in  the  Holy 
Spirit,  the  power  and  sufficiency  of  the  plan  of 
redemption  and  the  certainty  of  definite  results  if 
definite  steps  are  taken — if  faith  is  exercised  in 
Jesus  Christ. 

The  personal  evangelist  ought  to  be  the  wisest 
of  men,  for  in  addition  to  his  native  God-given 
common  sense,  he  may  also  have  the  “unction” 
(1  John  2:20)  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  guide,  teach, 
lead,  and  open  the  doors  of  opportunity.  To  this 
we  may  add  the  lessons  we  all  may  learn  through 
experience  and  wise  observation  of  the  work  of 
others.  Let  us  profit  by  success  and  be  warned 
by  our  seeming  failures  which  are  often  not  fail¬ 
ures  at  all. 


QUESTIONS 

1.  What  are  some  of  the  dangers  that  confront  the  personal 
evangelist  ? 

2.  Does  the  Master  seem  to  recognize  this?  Tell  how. 


216  Personal  Evangelism 

3.  What  is  your  method  of  personal  devotional  Bible  study? 

4.  Are  you  regular  and  faithful  in  the  discharge  of  church 
duties? 

5.  What  is  James’  argument?  Give  reference  regarding 
faith  and  works. 

6.  What  evidence  does  the  world  accept?  Give  the  gist  of 
Matt.  25 :  34-40. 

7.  Outline  the  New  Testament  standard  of  stewardship. 
Wherein  does  it  exceed  the  “law  of  the  tithe”? 

8.  Give  in  your  own  language  the  meaning  of  “a  clear  ob¬ 
jective”  and  perseverance. 

9.  What  is  meant  by  “an  entire  reliance  upon  the  Holy 
Spirit?” 

10.  What  and  how  do  you  pray  in  doing  your  personal  work? 

11.  Why  should  the  personal  evangelist  be  a  wise  man  ? 
Quote  1  John  2:  20. 


PART  FIVE:  FALSE  TEACHINGS 
AND  CONCLUSION 


PART  FIVE:  FALSE  TEACHINGS 
AND  CONCLUSION 


Chapter  I 

The  Roman  Catholic 

I:  OUR  ATTITUDE 

1.  Let  it  be  understood  that  we  make  no  attempt 
to  impugn  the  honesty,  sincerity  or  morality  of  the 
followers  of  the  Catholic  faith.  Personal  acquaint¬ 
ance  with  scores  of  devoted  disciples  of  what  we 
believe  to  be  a  perverted  system  of  teaching,  con¬ 
vinces  us  that  but  little  is  to  be  gained  by  argu¬ 
ment  and  nothing  whatever  by  indiscriminate  con¬ 
demnation,  broadly  assailing  Catholics  as  such,  or 
denying  that  they  are  Christians.  Nevertheless 
there  are  many  vulnerable  points  in  the  system 
that  non-Catholics  ought  to  know,  and  these  weak¬ 
nesses  can  be  shown  from  their  own  Douay  version 
of  the  Scriptures.  Indeed  so  great  are  these  weak¬ 
nesses  that  it  is  easily  to  be  understood  why  Cath¬ 
olic  leaders  seek  either  to  discount,  or  where  pos¬ 
sible  entirely  to  prevent,  the  reading  of  the  Word 
and  at  all  times  insist  upon  the  interpretations 
and  comments  made  by  priests  and  the  councils  of 
the  church. 


219 


220  Personal  Evangelism 

[Note:  While  we  are  not  able  to  verify  it,  still 
we  have  the  statement  of  Dr.  G.  Campbell  Morgan 
that  the  Catholic  hierarchy  has  placed  the  seal  of 
its  approval  npon  the  King  James  translation  of 
the  Bible,  thus  placing  it  on  the  same  authority  as 
the  Douay  version.] 

2.  Effectiveness  demands  of  the  personal  evan¬ 
gelist  a  knowledge  of  what  the  Roman  church 
believes  and  wherein  we  differ  from  its  position. 
There  are  a  number  of  doctrines  that  we  hold  in 
common : 

(a)  Both  believe  in  God,  the  Trinity,  the  Deity 
of  Christ,  atonement  and  justification  by  faith, 
though  the  last,  for  the  Catholic,  must  be  governed 
and  interpreted  by  the  church.  Both  agree  as  to 
Christ’s  work  for  salvation,  but  disagree  as  to  the 
method  of  its  application.  ‘ 4  The  only  real  point  of 
division  and  dispute  ...  is  the  authority  of  the 
church.” — Cardinal  Gibbons. 

(b)  Both  believe  the  Bible  to  be  the  word  of 
God.  But  the  Catholic  Church  teaches  that  “It  is 
the  depository  of  the  Word  of  God”  and  “God 
never  intended  the  Bible  to  be  the  Christian’s  rule 
of  faith,  independent  of  the  authority  of  the 
Church”  (Gibbons).  The  Catholic  Church  teaches 
that,  “The  Scriptures  do  not  contain  all  of  the 
truth  necessary  for  salvation”  (Gibbons);  that 
there  is  in  addition,  “The  unwritten  word  of 
God,”  and,  while  not  forbidden  to  read  the  Scrip¬ 
tures,  Catholics  are  to  interpret  them  only  as 


The  Roman  Catholic  221 

taught  by  the  Church.  Very  few  Catholics  ever 
read  the'  Bible. 

(c)  Both  hold  that  all  are  sinners.  But  the 
Catholic  teaches  that  the  saving  grace  of  God 
can  only  be  applied  to  the  human  heart  through 
the  medium  of  the  priesthood  (sacerdotalism), 
whereas  the  Scriptures  teach  us  that  this  grace 
is  “by  faith”  alone  (Eph.  2:  8),  quite  apart  from 
any  human  intervention. 

The  Catholic  Church  teaches  that  baptism  re¬ 
moves  all  original  or  inherent  sin,  and  all  actual 
or  personal  sin  to  the  moment  of  the  baptismal  act. 
By  the  confessional  and  the  doing  of  penance,  sins 
incurred  after  baptism  are  removed,  the  priest 
having  the  power  to  forgive  sin  and  to  grant  abso¬ 
lution,  but  must  inflict  acts  of  penance.  The  sin 
is  forgiven  on  the  ground  of  the  merits  of  Christ, 
but  forgiveness  is  efficacious  only  through  penance. 

Purgatory  (a  middle  state  of  temporary  punish¬ 
ment)  is  for  those  who  die  having  their  sins  not 
yet  fully  justified  of  God  and  for  all  others  whose 
accounts  may  not  have  been  properly  balanced. 
Not  knowing  who  these  might  be,  all  must  pass 
through  the  purgatorial  or  refining  fires.  As  helps 
to  the  living,  Confirmation  grants  him  the  Holy 
Spirit  and  the  Eucharist  “food  and  nourishment 
to  the  soul.” 

“The  bread  and  wine  become  the  actual  flesh 
and  blood  of  Christ  (transubstantiation),  and  he 
is  offered  to  God  in  the  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass.” 


222  Personal  Evangelism 

II :  OUR  LINE  OF  APPROACH 

Nearly  all  conversions  from  Catholicism,  and 
there  are  increasing  thousands  each  year,  come 
through  confidence  gained,  service  rendered  in  the 
name  of  the  Master  or  a  wise  presentation  (not 
argument)  of  the  Word  of  God.  Intelligent  con¬ 
versions  are  the  result  of  a  knowledge  of  the 
Scriptures.  It  will  be  wise,  at  the  outset,  not  to 
contradict  the  Catholic  belief  that  having  been 
baptized  one  is  born  again.  Begin  rather  where 
he  may  least  expect  to  be  attacked.  Know  the 
Catholic  Bible  and  avoid  such  expressions  as  “  You 
believe”  and  “We  believe.” 

1.  Do  You  Enjoy  the  Assurance  of  Your  Salva¬ 
tion?  From  the  Pope  down  to  the  least  known 
member,  none  is  allowed  the  assurance  of  salva¬ 
tion.  Councils  and  officials  declare  that  to  be  be¬ 
yond  the  possibility  of  human  knowledge,  claiming 
that  any  such  knowledge  would  be  ‘  ‘  religious  pre¬ 
sumption”  and  can  only  be  known  when  we  stand 
in  the  presence  of  God. 

Over  against  this  use  such  passages  as  1  John 
5 : 12, 13 ;  John  3:36,  5:24 ;  Romans  8 : 14-16,  and 
Acts  10 :  43,  13 :  38,  39.  These  passages  show  the 
knowledge  of  sins  forgiven,  the  present  possession 
of  eternal  life  and  the  assured  standing  and  secur¬ 
ity  of  the  believer.  Such  is  not  alone  possible,  but 
is  demanded  on  the  authority  of  the  Word  of  God. 


The  Roman  Catholic 


223 


Taken  at  its  face  value,  the  Word  teaches  that  “by 
faith”  we  may  know  God,  Christ  and  the  Holy 
Spirit:  that  we  may  have  positive  assurance  of 
sins  forgiven  and  an  eternal  security  because  of, 
or  in,  the  object  of  our  faith. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  Why  ought  we  to  avoid  an  attack  upon  Catholics  as  such? 

2.  What  does  effective  work  among  Catholics  demand  of  the 
personal  worker? 

3.  What  is  the  chief  point  of  division  and  dispute? 

4.  What  is  the  Catholic  position  regarding  the  Scriptures  ? 

5.  What  is  meant  by  sacerdotalism? 

6.  What  is  the  Catholic  estimate  of  baptism? 

7.  What  is  needed  to  remove  sins  committed  after  baptism? 

8.  Of  what  value  does  the  Catholic  estimate  purgatory? 

9.  How  do  most  conversions  from  Catholicism  come  and  upon 
what  are  they  grounded? 

10.  Give  fully,  in  your  own  language,  the  difference  between 
our  position  and  that  of  the  Catholic  in  the  matter  of 
our  assurance  of  salvation  and  eternal  life. 


Chapter  II 

The  Roman  Catholic  (Concluded) 

I:  THE  APPROACH - CONCLUDED 

2.  Have  you  been  born  again?  To  this  he 
will  of  course  reply,  “Yes,”  because  he  has  been 
baptized.  Again  we  turn  to  the  Word.  If 
baptism  be  essential  to  salvation,  why  did  Jesus 
not  baptize  (John  4 : 1,  2)  and  Paul  do  so  little  and 
apparently  think  it  of  such  slight  importance  (1 
Cor.  1:14,  4:15)?  Again  the  case  of  Simon 
Magus  (Acts  8 :  9-24)  clearly  teaches  that  one  may 
remain  unconverted  though  baptized  by  the  very 
highest  ecclesiastical  authority,  and  surely  none 
was  ever  higher  than  the  apostles. 

Baptism  can  never  be  substituted  for  the  new 
birth  except  by  a  perversion  of  the  plain  teaching 
of  the  whole  body  of  Scriptures.  Regeneration,  or 
the  impartation  of  the  new  life,  consists  not  in  the 
observation  of  forms  or  outward  ceremonial  acts 
(2  Cor.  5:17).  We  are  “new  creatures”  (crea¬ 
tion)  :  we  die  to  the  old  life  and  “put  on”  a  new 
life  (Eph.  2:5,15;  4:22-24;  1  John  5:  4). 

This  new  life  is  “manifested” — made  to  be  seen 
— by  a  new  objective,  a  changed  conduct,  walk  and 
conversation  and  an  overcoming  power.  Being 

224 


The  Roman  Catholic 


225 


‘ ‘ born  again”  the  believer  “overcometh  the 
world,”  has  victory  over  sin,  and  “love”  for  his 
brethren  (1  John  3 :  9, 14;  5:4). 

3.  Do  you  understand  Scriptural  repentance ? 
Non-Catholics  often  come  periously  near  mak¬ 
ing  the  Catholic  mistake  regarding  prayer  and 
repentance. 

(a)  Praying  does  not  turn  God  to  an  attitude  of 
leniency  towards  us  and  our  sins.  We  do  not 
plead  for  nor  do  our  deeds  merit  his  favor.  Our 
pardon  is  granted  upon  believing,  and  once 
granted  we  can  never  be  brought  to  judgment 
(Eph.  2:8).  Judgment  of  sin  and  the  judgment 
of  our  “works”  are  essentially  different. 

(b)  Human  works  cannot  win  favor  from  God. 
We  bring  forth  “fruit”  because  of  and  not  unto 
repentance.  Leading  a  “Christian  life”  has  no 
saving  virtue.  The  dynamic  of  human  conduct 
must  be  the  “new  life”  implanted  within  us.  Sab¬ 
bath  observance,  temperance,  worship  and  the  like 
have  no  saving  merits.  “Without  faith  (in  the 
complete  work  of  Christ)  it  is  impossible  to  please 
God.”  We  do  not  even  have  to  “seek”  God  as 
Israel  was  urged  (Isa.  55:6),  for  “he  (Christ) 
came  to  seek  and  to  save”  (Luke  19: 10). 

(c)  Repentance  on  our  part  in  the  process  of 
salvation  is  not  the  doing  of  penance,  but  the 
simple  turning  from  self  and  what  self  can  do 
to  God,  believing  and  accepting  from  him  “Eter¬ 
nal  life”  as  a  “free”  gift  (Rom.  6:23). 


226  Personal  Evangelism 

The  Roman  church  teaches  its  followers  to  be 
satisfied  with  the  act  of  “confession”  and  after 
the  doing  of  some  act  or  acts  of  “penance”  either 
light  or  heavy,  depending  upon  the  nature  of  the 
sinful  offense  and  the  caprice  of  a  priest,  to  re¬ 
ceive  “absolution”  from  God  through  a  man,  the 
priest. 

Such  confession  and  penance  do  not  assure  any 
man  of  forgiveness  unless  that  sin  is  at  the  same 
time  forsaken  (1  John  1:9;  Isa.  55:7),  and  even 
then  the  forgiveness  is  due  to  our  faith  in  the  work 
of  Christ  alone  (1  John  1:9).  Repentance  de¬ 
mands  a  heart  broken  for  sin,  also  one  broken 
from  sin  as  well.  See  Prov.  28:13;  Jonah  3: 10, 
and  Isa.  55 :  7. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  question  of  confession 
and  penance  involves  the  fundamental  error  of  the 
mediation  of  the  priesthood  and  the  praying  to 
saints  and  the  Virgin  Mary. 

If  we  grant  the  impossibility  of  a  knowledge  of 
salvation,  the  need  of  baptism  and  the  necessity 
of  confession  and  the  doing  of  penance  for  the 
remission  of  sin,  the  need  of  the  communion,  the 
wine  of  which  is  withheld  from  the  laity ;  and  that 
the  church  through  its  priests  and  councils  alone 
can  interpret  the  Bible,  grant  to  the  priest  the  for¬ 
giveness  of  sins  and  the  power  to  hold  the  keys 
of  eternal  life,  then  we  can  readily  see  that  we  are 
slaves  of  the  church  and  its  priesthood. 

It  is  small  wonder  that  Martin  Luther’s  em- 


The  Roman  Catholic 


227 


phasis  upon  the  text,  “The  just  shall  live  by 
faith,’ ’  by  which  priestly  mediation  and  human 
works  as  the  ground  for  the  forgiveness  of  sin 
were  challenged,  should  have  caused  such  conster¬ 
nation.  Others  taught  this  truth  before,  but  for 
one  so  prominent  as  he  was  in  the  Catholic  Church 
to  come  forth  so  boldly  amounted  to  a  revolution, 
and  Luther  became  the  spokesman  of  the  spirit  of 
revolt,  the  apostle  of  a  new  day. 

This  is  indeed  a  vulnerable  point.  Such  priestly 
prerogatives  easily  explain  the  hold  of  the  hier¬ 
archy  upon  Catholicism,  and  our  answer  must  be 
the  words  of  Paul:  “For  there  is  one  mediator 
between  God  and  men,  the  Man  Christ  Jesus”  (1 
Tim.  2:5).  See  also  Acts  4 : 12.  These  words  also 
reveal  the  fallacy  of  prayers  to  saints  and  the 
worship  of  the  Virgin. 

4.  Let  us  consider  “Mary,  the  Mother  of 
Jesus”  (see  tract  by  Miss  Ada  Habershon). 

(a)  She  was  highly  favored  and  blessed 

among  women  (Luke  1:28). 

(b)  She  needed  a  Savior  (Luke  1:47). 

(c)  She  needed  a  sin  offering  (Luke 

2:22-24). 

(d)  She  needed  to  be  taken  care  of  (John 

19:26,  27). 

(e)  She  needed  a  home  (John  19:27). 

(f)  She  needed  prayer  (Acts  1:14). 

(They  prayed  together  and  not  to 

her.) 


228  Personal  Evangelism 

(g)  She  needed  and  received  the  Holy 

Spirit  (Acts  2 : 1,  4) . 

(h)  She  left  one  striking  injunction: 

u  Whatsoever  he  saith  unto  yon,  do 
it”  (John  2:5). 

Exalted  above  women  she  was,  but  to  be  wor¬ 
shiped  or  to  act  as  mediator,  never. 


II  :  GET  THE  CATHOLIC  TO  READ  THE  BIBLE 

We  have  suggested  that  the  foregoing  facts  can 
be  shown  from  the  Catholic  English  version  of 
the  Bible.  It  is  probably  true  that  a  majority  of 
those  converted  from  that  faith  are  led  into  the 
light  by  carefully  reading  and  studying  the  Scrip¬ 
tures.  The  writer  has  known  many  such  and,  so 
far  as  he  knows,  in  every  case  they  have  listened 
to  the  testimony  of  saved  men  and  women,  have 
been  impressed  by  the  note  of  calm  and  joyful 
assurance,  and,  in  searching  for  the  secret  thereof, 
they  have  been  directed  to  the  Word  of  God, 
wherein  they  have  found  the  simple  plan  of  sal¬ 
vation  and  the  assurance  that  is  vouchsafed  the 
believer. 

Such  transitions  have  never  been  sudden.  Pa¬ 
tience,  much  and  long  continued  patience,  loving 
and  considerate  treatment  of  what  we  are  sure 
is  error,  and  above  all  a  manifestation  of  the  life 
of  the  Spirit,  have  overcome  false  teaching  and 
sophistry. 


The  Roman  Catholic 


229 


Deal  with  the  down  and  out  Catholicr  the  one 
who  confesses  that  he  is  unfaithful  to  his  vows, 
as  a  sinner  only,  ignoring  his  suggestion  of  being 
a  Catholic.  Indeed  a  great  majority  of  our  efforts 
with  Catholics  will  be  along  this  line. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  the  fundamental  Catholic  error  regarding  bap¬ 
tism  ?  Why  ? 

2.  Define  Scriptural  repentance  and  tell  what  it  is  not. 

3.  Upon  what  is  the  importance  and  influence  of  the  Catholic 
priesthood  based? 

4.  What  did  Martin  Luther  emphasize  and  why  was  it  so 
important  ? 

5.  Wherein  is  the  fallacy  of  praying  to  the  saints?  Scrip- 
turally,  who  are  the  saints?  Locate  passages  to  prove. 

6.  Enumerate  the  eight  striking  things  about  “Mary,  the 
mother  of  Jesus.”  What  do  they  signify? 

7.  Why  urge  Catholics  to  read  the  Bible? 

8.  Have  you  known  of  conversions  from  the  Catholic  faith? 
Tell  the  steps  as  you  recall  them. 

9.  What  reason  or  reasons  can  you  give  for  the  slowness  of 
such  conversions? 

10.  What  is  meant  by  the  down  and  out  Catholic?  How 
would  you  deal  with  him? 


Chapter  III 
The  Jews 

The  proportion  of  converts  to  Christianity  from 
Judaism  is  exceedingly  small,  though  more  numer¬ 
ous  than  is  usually  believed. 

I:  THE  PRESENT  CONDITION  OF  THE  JEWS 

1.  Nationally,  (a)  That  they  are  scattered  is 
a  proverb  and  at  the  same  time  it  is  a  fulfilment 
of  Scriptural  prophecy  (Deut.  28:64).  A  most 
significant  thing  is  that  though  they  take  on  the 
racial  characteristics  of  those  nations  wherein 
they  reside,  yet  they  never  lose  their  Jewish  dis¬ 
tinction,  are  never  fully  assimilated.  The  “big 
fish”  (other  nations)  have  never  digested  the  Jew. 
In  this  Jonah  may  be  taken  as  a  type. 

(b)  They  are  also  set  apart  by  their  customs, 
their  hopes,  and  by  the  Lord  God  himself  they 
have  been  separated  from  each  other  and  those 
among  whom  they  dwell.  During  the  great  war, 
German  Jews  fought  French  and  English  Jews, 
though  often  looked  upon  with  suspicion  by  their 
chosen  countrymen. 

2.  Spiritually,  (a)  The  Orthodox  or  Conser¬ 
vative.  Theologically  these  are  Unitarian.  They 

230 


The  Jews 


231 


believe  that  God  is  a  unit,  a  spirit  and  eternal. 
These  accept  the  words  of  the  prophets  as  true, 
Moses  being  the  chief.  The  Law  is  now  in  their 
possession  and  was  given  by  God  to  Moses. 
Though  Messiah  tarry,  yet  he  will  surely  come. 
They  also  believe  in  a  physical  resurrection  from 
the  dead. 

With  such  the  Talmud  is  the  record  of  the  oral 
and  traditional  comments  upon  the  Law.  The 
Torah  is  the  Pentateuch  or  first  five  books  of  our 
Old  Testament. 

(b)  The  Liberal  Jew.  He  accepts  the  unity  of 
God,  but  pays  little  attention  to  anything  else 
except  to  teach  morality  and  maintain  the  tradi¬ 
tional  Jewish  separation. 

(c)  The  Rationalistic  Jews,  or  “Reformed.’* 
Aside  from  radical  differences,  these  are  not  true 
Jews,  though  they  maintain  synagogues  and 
preach  and  teach  ethics. 

II :  THE  DIFFICULTIES 

1.  From  the  Side  of  the  Gentile .  (a)  Few 

have  any  appreciation  of  what  it  costs  a  Jew 
to  leave  the  faith  of  his  fathers.  Literal,  phys¬ 
ical  separation  is  the  portion  of  all  who  turn 
their  backs  on  Jewry.  The  burial  service  for  the 
dead  and  complete  ostracism  from  family,  kin  and 
race — this  is  a  price  but  few  of  us  know  or  can 
appreciate. 


232  Personal  Evangelism 

(b)  Again  the  Gentile  can  never  fully  apprehend 
the  peculiarly  distinctive  character  of  the  Jew. 
Paul  exhorts  the  Christian  (1  Cor.  10  :32-33)  not 
to  “offend  the  Jew.”  Yet  we  joke,  plague,  ostra¬ 
cize  and  discriminate  against  him  constantly. 

(c)  Then  Christians  fail  to  appreciate  fully  the 
character  of  the  work  among  Jews,  its  difficulty, 
meager  results  and  the  great  need  of  patient  per¬ 
severance.  Paul  (Kom.  9:1-6)  realized  this  diffi¬ 
culty  fully  and  expressed  his  yearning  in  Rom. 
10 : 1.  It  is  exceedingly  difficult  to  teach  the  J ew 
the  meaning  of  that  Word  which  he  has  trans¬ 
mitted  to  us,  since  he  is  “blinded”  to  its  true 
import. 

2.  From  the  Side  of  the  Jew.  (a)  The  Ra¬ 
tionalistic  or  Reformed  Jew  has  the  same  diffi¬ 
culty  in  believing  the  gospel  that  all  other  ra¬ 
tionalists  have  plus  his  racial  background. 

(b)  All  Jews  are  suspicious  of  the  one  who 
departs  from  the  faith.  He  accuses  such  an  one 
of  ingratitude  to  Jewry  and  of  selfish  motives. 

(c)  Then  we  need  but  to  read  history,  past  and 
current,  to  observe  the  persecutions  of  the  past 
and  the  “pogroms”  and  discriminations  of  the 
present,  to  see  how  natural  it  is  for  the  Jew  to  be 
suspicious  of  or  antagonistic  to  Christianity.  He 
certainly  has  ample  grounds. 


The  Jews 


233 


III:  METHODS  OF  DEALING  WITH  THE  JEWS 

1.  Try  to  show  from  the  Old  Testament  that 
Jesus  was  the  Messiah. 

(a)  The  sceptre  has  long  since  departed  from 
Judah  and  Messiah  (Shiloh)  must  have  come 
(Gen.  49 : 10). 

(b)  Daniel ’s  sixty-nine  weeks  (of  years)  have 
long  since  elapsed,  hence  Messiah  must  have  come 
(Dan.  9:25). 

(c)  The  prophecies  were  fulfilled  in  him  (Gen. 
3 : 15,  22  : 18,  49 : 10 ;  Isa.  7:14;  Micah  5:2).  Mes¬ 
siah  had  to  prove  his  ancestry,  his  genealogy,  and 
Christ  is  the  last  one  who  can  thus  prove  his  right, 
for  now  all  of  the  records  are  gone  and  we  can 
never  hope  for  another. 

The  Jew’s  religion  is  useless  without  Christ,  for 
it  does  not  fulfill  his  Scriptures.  It  is  useless  be¬ 
cause  Christ  is  the  center  of  prophecy.  It  is  use¬ 
less  because  only  the  Levites  can  act  as  priests, 
and  such  cannot  prove  themselves  to-day,  lacking 
the  records  which  all  educated  Jews  concede  to 
be  lost. 

(d)  He  is  the  “suffering”  Messiah  of  prophecy. 
The  Jew  has  but  little  idea  of  such,  but  is  looking 
for  a  king  to  establish  a  material  kingdom  on 
the  earth  (see  Matt.  16:21,  22;  Luke  24:25-27, 
45,  46). 

2.  Perhaps  Isaiah  53  is  the  most  difficult  to  get 
the  Jew  to  understand.  This  cannot  refer  to  the 


234  Personal  Evangelism 

nation,  for  the  prophet  is  speaking  of  a  person , 
one  who  suffers  for  another,  and  (verse  eight) 
that  other  is  not  Israel  but  Christ.  See  also  Acts 
8 : 27-35. 

Psalms  22  and  69  are  classed  by  the  Jews  as 
“Messianic’ ’  and  they  both  foretell  suffering. 
Daniel  9:26  also  tells  that  “Messiah  shall  be 
cut  off.” 

3.  Try  to  show  the  Jew  that  the  Old  Testament 
sacrifices  have  been  done  away  in  Christ  (see  Heb. 
8  and  10),  and  this  as  a  penalty  for  not  accepting 
Christ.  See  Hebrews  10 :  28,  29.  Finally  show 
him  what  the  Bible  teaches  about  persecution  and 
its  glory.  The  Jew  who  accepts  Christ  will  be 
driven  from  home,  persecuted  and  cursed.  Use 
also  2  Tim.  2 : 12  and  Heb.  11 :  24-27. 

For  special  tracts  on  the  Jews,  address  Chicago 
Mission  to  the  Jews,  1244  South  Halstead  Street, 
and  Mildmay  Mission  to  the  Jews,  Mildmay  Road, 
London,  England. 


QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  the  present  condition  of  the  Jews  nationally? 

2.  What  classification  of  the  Jews  do  we  have?  Define  each. 

3.  Explain  fully  the  two  sides  of  the  difficulty  we  have  in 
dealing  with  the  Jew. 

4.  How  would  you  show  Jesus  to  be  the  Messiah? 

5.  In  your  own  words  explain  what  is  meant  by  the  u  suffer¬ 
ing  Messiah/7  Explain  Isaiah  53. 

6.  What  else  would  you  try  to  show  the  Jew? 


The  Jews 


235 


7.  Why  is  the  Jews’  religion  useless? 

8.  What  did  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  do  that  affects  the 
Jewish  system  of  religion? 

9.  Why  do  we  as  Gentiles  seem  to  feel  an  instinctive  desire 
for  separation  from  the  Jews? 

10.  Have  you  known  any  Jews  who  became  Christians?  Tell, 
if  possible,  the  steps  of  their  faith. 


Chapter  IV 

The  Adventist 

[Note:  For  the  order  of  analysis  and  much  of 
the  matter  of  this  chapter  we  are  indebted  to 
“Personal  Soul  "Winning/  ’  by  Dr.  William 
Evans,  Bible  Institute  Colportage  Association, 
Chicago.] 

The  fundamental  doctrine  of  Adventism  is  the 
absolute  necessity  and  command  for  observing 
the  seventh  day  (Saturday)  as  the  Sabbath. 
There  are,  however,  two  other  grave  errors  asso¬ 
ciated  with  this  movement,  viz.,  Soul-sleeping  and 
Annihilation. 

This  movement  has  had  its  great  headquarters 
and  publishing  house  in  Battle  Creek,  Michigan, 
and  all  ought  to  be  careful  as  regards  taking  into 
the  home  the  books  and  “Bible  studies ”  sent  forth 
from  that  place,  from  Tacoma  Park,  D.  C.,  and 
also  from  Nashville,  Tenn.  The  movement  is,  how¬ 
ever,  quite  widely  distributed  and  appears  under 
different  headings,  as,  for  instance,  “Seventh  Day 
Baptists.”  All  Adventists,  we  understand,  are 
immersionists  and  make  great  claims  regarding 
their  Biblical  interpretation. 

We  suggest  the  reading  of  Dr.  R.  A.  Torrey’s 

236 


The  Adventist 


237 


book,  “  Ought  Christians  to  Keep<the  Sabbath V9 
“Adventism  Refuted,”  by  D.  M.,  Cartwright,  and 
“Seventh  Day  Adventism,”  by  D.  A.  Barry. 

I:  THE  SABBATH  DAY 

1.  Adventist  teachers  lay  great  stress  upon  1 
John  2  :  4,  construing  it  to  mean  the  Sabbath,  even 
going  so  far  as  to  change  the  word  “command¬ 
ments  ”  to  “  Sabbath.  ’  ’  The  answer  to  this  is  such 
a  passage  as  1  J ohn  3 : 23,  where  the  command¬ 
ments  referred  to  are  shown  to  be  love  and  faith 
and  not  the  Seventh  Day. 

The  same  is  true  of  Rev.  22 : 14,  another  of  their 
favorite  passages.  The  Adventists  from  this  pas¬ 
sage  would  make  eternal  life  to  be  dependent  upon 
keeping  the  fourth  of  the  Ten  Commandments.  A 
careful  reading  of  the  revised  version,  the  most 
modern  and  correct  translation,  will  show  the  fal¬ 
lacy  of  that  position,  for  the  words  “Keep  his 
commandments  ’ 7  do  not  therein  occur  at  all. 

2.  The  “Law”  written  on  tables  of  stone  has 
been  done  away  with  (2  Cor.  3:  7-11).  Christians 
are  under  a  new  covenant  and  are  not  called  upon 
to  become  Jews,  thereby  being  obliged  to  keep  the 
Sabbath  forever  throughout  all  generations. 

3.  The  Christian  is  “dead”  to  the  Law  (Rom. 
7:1-4;  see  also  10:3-9).  Every  one  of  the  Ten 
Commandments  is  reaffirmed  in  the  New  Testa¬ 
ment  except  the  fourth,  and  by  example  Christ 


238  Personal  Evangelism 

seemed  to  consider  it  less" binding  and  suggested 
that  it  might,  under  some  circumstances,  even  be 
broken  (see  Matt.  12:1-8).  Further,  observance 
of  the  “Sabbath  Day”  is  expressly  declared  not  to 
be  obligatory  upon  the  Christian  (Col.  2:16,17). 

4.  Finally,  we  must  keep  in  mind  that  the  Sab¬ 
bath,  as  such,  is  a  Jewish  institution  (Deut. 
5:12-15),  a  sign  between  Israel  and  God  (Ex. 
31: 13-17 ;  Ezek.  20: 12-13),  whereas  we,  as  Chris¬ 
tians,  are  admonished  to  observe  the  “first  day  of 
the  week”  (1  Cor.  16:2;  Rev.  1:10;  Acts  20:7). 

There  is  a  marked  difference  between  Jew,  Gen¬ 
tile  and  the  Church  of  God  (1  Cor.  10:  32).  The 
Christian  is  not  a  Jew,  but  a  member  of  the  Church 
of  God,  the  Body  of  Christ,  wherein  there  is  no 
distinction — ‘  ‘  neither  J ew  nor  Gentile.  ’  ’  The  J ew 
does  not  become  a  Gentile  nor  the  Gentile  a  Jew 
but  both  become  members  of  the  church  of  God — 
Christians. 

The  fourth  command  of  the  Decalogue  has  not 
been  set  aside  and  the  Christian  Sabbath  is  as 
truly  the  “seventh  day”  as  the  Jewish  Saturday, 
depending  upon  what  you  call  the  first  day.  In  no 
place  does  the  Bible  say  we  must  keep  Saturday. 
It  is  an  impossibility  to  keep  the  Sabbath  as  per 
their  teaching.  Failing  thus  to  do,  we  are  under 
the  “mark  of  the  beast,”  and  we  have  no  hope  of 
salvation,  and  have  no  place  in  the  “book  of  life.” 

How  and  when  shall  we  begin  to  reckon  to  find 
the  Sabbath  Day?  Australian  Adventists  do  not 


The  Adventist 


239 


keep  the  Sabbath  of  the  American  Adventist. 
Suppose  two  of  them  simultaneously  started  about 
the  world  in  opposite  directions,  each  keeping  Sat¬ 
urday.  By  the  time  they  met,  there  would  he  two 
days’  difference  between  them.  Which  would  be 
lost? 


II:  SOUL-SLEEPING 

This  doctrine  calls  for  a  peculiar  perversion  of 
the  Scripture.  It  means  the  unconsciousness  of  the 
soul  from  the  time  of  physical  death  until  the 
great  Resurrection  and  Judgment  Day.  Let  us 
examine  some  of  their  favorite  texts. 

Adventists  emphasize  Acts  2 :  34  in  teaching  this 
doctrine.  The  fact  is  that  it  is  David’s  body  and 
not  his  spirit  that  is  under  consideration!  Com¬ 
pare  with  verses  29-31. 

Eccles.  9:  5-10,  “The  dead  know  nothing,”  etc. 
.  .  .  under  the  sun.  See  context:  “With  Absalom 
— they  went — and  knew  not  anything”;  the  an¬ 
swer  is,  they  knew  nothing  of  Absalom’s  plot. 

John  11: 11, 14,  39.  This  passage  refers  to  the 
body,  not  the  spirit,  as  the  words  plainly  show ;  so 
with  1  Thess.  4: 16, 17. 

The  great  summary  of  Christ  for  this  whole 
teaching  is  in  Matt.  27 : 52.  Graves  and  bodies, 
resurrected,  not  the  sleeping  of  souls,  is  the  great 
lesson.  “This  day  shalt  thou  be  with  me  in  Para¬ 
dise,”  does  not,  cannot,  permit  a  soul  sleep  of 


240  Personal  Evangelism 

unconsciousness  until  the  last  great  resurrection 
day. 


Hi:  ANNIHILATION 

Closely  connected  with  the  foregoing  is  the  doc¬ 
trine  of  the  final  extinction  of  the  unsaved  soul — 
annihilation.  When  Stephen  died  (and  Jesus 
also),  his  body  went  into  the  earth  but  his  spirit 
went  unto  God  (Acts  7 :  59).  Paul  lived  outside  of 
his  body  (2  Cor.  12:2),  so  likewise  the  rich  man 
and  Lazarus  (Luke  16:19-31).  The  Bible  clearly 
teaches  the  conscious  state  of  the  dead.  Jesus 
with  Moses  and  Elijah  on  the  mount  held  converse 
with  the  living  spirits  of  those  long  since  dead. 
Study  carefully  the  following  references :  Matt. 
9:6;  Luke  16:9;  John  12:25;  1  Cor.  5:10,  6:2; 
1  Peter  3 : 19,  and  Gen.  6 :  3. 

Annihilation  cannot  be  supported,  as  the  Adven¬ 
tist  claims,  by  any  difference  between  “everlast¬ 
ing”  punishment  and  “eternal”  life,  as  found  in 
Matt.  25 :  46,  for  there  is  no  difference  (see  B.  V.). 
The  punishment  and  the  life  alike  are  “eternal.” 

QUESTIONS 

1.  State  the  fundamental  doctrine  of  Adventism. 

2.  How  ought  we  to  answer  his  use  of  1  John  2 : 4  and 
Kev.  22:14? 

3.  What  is  the  New  Testament  teaching  regarding  the  Jewish 
law? 


The  Adventist  241 

4.  What  is  the  significance  of  the  lack  of  the  reiteration  of 
the  fourth  commandment  in  the  New  Testament? 

5.  Locate  Scriptures  showing  the  attitude  and  also  the  state¬ 
ments  of  Christ  as  regards  the  Sabbath  day. 

6.  Are  we  free  from  devoting  one  day  in  seven  to  the 
worship  of  God?  Give  reasons  for  your  reply. 

7.  Why  is  a  world-wide  observance  of  the  seventh  day  an 
impossibility? 

8.  What  is  the  distinction  between  “Jew,  Gentile  and  Church 
of  God,”  1  Cor.  10:32? 

9.  What  is  meant  by  “Soul-sleeping”?  How  would  you 
answer  that  sort  of  teaching? 

10.  What  is  meant  by  “Annihilation”?  How  would  you  meet 
that  sort  of  error? 


Chapter  V 

The  Unitarian  and  Universalist 

I:  WHAT  THE  UNITARIAN  BELIEVES 

1.  The  Unitarian  is  he  who  denies  the  fact  of 
a  Triune  God,  accepts  God,  but  denies  the  Son  and 
Spirit.  Jesus  was  a  good  man,  perhaps  the  best 
that  ever  lived,  but  not  equal  with  the  Father.  The 
Holy  Spirit  is  regarded  merely  as  an  influence, 
certainly  not  a  person  equal  with  God  or  the  Son. 

2.  As  for  the  Bible,  it  is  probably  the  highest 
revelation  we  have,  but  not  more  inspired  than  a 
vast  amount  of  other  writings  or  literature  that 
has  been  or  is  yet  to  be  produced.  Men  who  write 
and  speak  to-day  are  inspired  in  the  same  way  as 
the  authors  of  the  Bible. 

All  of  the  miracles  can  be  explained  by  natural 
law  or  else  are  denied  as  having  been  performed. 

3.  The  Atonement  of  Jesus  and  regeneration 
through  his  merits  are  both  a  myth,  a  figment  of 
human  imagination.  Sin  is  only  a  defect  of  human 
life  that  may  be  removed  or  altered  by  education, 
will  power  or  environment.  Indeed,  sin  is  often 
referred  to  as  “perverted  good”  or  as  “arrested 
development.” 

While  there  are  some  Unitarians  who  do  not  go 

242 


The  Unitarian  and  Universalist  243 

quite  this  far,  still  all  believe  in  God  as  a  unit,  not 
the  Triune  God. 

The  greatest  growth  and  development  of  Uni- 
tarianism  has  been  in  New  England,  where  it  has 
split  Congregationalism  into  two  camps.  Ex- 
President  C.  W.  Eliot,  of  Harvard,  and  ex-Presi- 
dent  of  the  United  States  William  Howard  Taft 
are  leading  exponents  of  this  belief.  Since  its  in¬ 
ception  it  has  not  grown  much,  for  it  is  not  mis¬ 
sionary;  depends  upon  moral  teaching  rather,  not 
regeneration,  and  has  always  been  a  proselytizing 
rather  than  evangelistic  movement.  In  fact,  it  has 
no  evangel. 


II:  OUR  APPROACH 

1.  The  revelation  of  God.  Unitarianism  is 
not  confined  to  the  sect  which  hears  that  label. 
It  is  to  be  found  often  in  professedly  orthodox 
pulpits  and  among  scores  of  regular  church 
members.  It  will  always  he  found  among  those 
who  deny  the  virgin  birth  of  our  Lord,  for  we 
cannot  have  the  Father  without  the  Son,  as 
access  is  only  obtainable  through  the  Son  who 
is  co-equal  and  co-existent  with  God  the  Father 
(see  1  John  2:22,  23,  and  John  14:6).  The 
only  full  and  complete  revelation  of  God,  known 
to  man,  is  that  found  in  the  New  Testament,  and, 
as  shown  in  former  lessons,  if  Jesus  he  not  God, 
he  is  not  good. 


244  Personal  Evangelism 

2. '  The  revelation  of  the  apostles.  Peter  tells 
us  (Acts  4:12)  that  only  through  Christ  can 
men  be  saved.  To  refuse  to  believe  in  Christ 
is  to  reject  God’s  proffered  salvation  (John 
5:40).  “What,”  one  may  ask,  “becomes  of 
those  who  refuse  or  else  have  never  heard  of 
salvation  through  Christ  V’  We  are  not  omni¬ 
scient.  But  we  do  know  that  a  righteous  God 
will  deal  justly  with  honest  ignorance,  with  hon¬ 
est  open-mindedness  that  awaits  conviction;  with 
defiant  refusal  to  obey;  and  with  indecision  and 
willful  ignorance.  As  if  to  add  force  to  the  words 
of  Peter,  read  the  words  of  Jesus  found  in  John 
8 :  21-24.  The  Jews  of  that  day  (and  to-day  also) 
are  one  with  modern  Unitarians. 

3.  God’s  will.  We  have  already  referred  to 
the  will  and  purpose  of  God  (Rom.  8:29).  In 
this  connection  show  also  how  it  is  the  will  of 
the  Father  that  all  men  should  believe  and  be 
saved  (John  5:22-23;  Phil.  2-9).  It  is  a  fact 
that  the  guilt  of  being  lost  in  no  way  can  be 
blamed  upon  God.  The  Holy  Spirit  came  to  con¬ 
vict  men  of  the  sin  of  unbelief  (John  16:8-10), 
and  to  reject  Jesus  Christ  as  the  One  through 
whom  God  bestows  eternal  life  is  to  make  God 
a  liar  (1  John  5:10-12). 

4.  The  guilt.  Not  only  is  self-condemnation 
involved  in  taking  the  Unitarian  position  and 
blasphemy  against  God,  but  it  also  brings  upon 
the  rejector  the  awful  consequences  mentioned  in 


The  Unitarian  and  Universalist  245 

Heb.  10 :  28,  29.  This  is  done  by  a  denial  of  the 
claims  of  Christ  and  to  account  his  blood  only 
that  of  a  martyr. 


hi:  REVIEW 

Let  ns  hastily  review  the  Scriptural  evidence 
of  the  Deity  (co-equal  with  God)  of  Jesus  Christ. 

1.  The  names  given  to  him  (Acts  3:14;  John 
20 :  28 ;  Heb.  1:8;  Titus  2  :  13) . 

2.  Divine  attributes  (Matt.  18:20,  28:18,  19; 
Eph.  1 :  22,  23 ;  Mark  2  :  8,  and  others) . 

3.  Eternal  existence  (John  1:1). 

4.  Divine  works  ascribed  to  him  (John  1:1-3; 
Col.  1 : 16 ;  John  5  :  22,  23,  6 :  39,  5 :  21) . 

5.  Divine  worship  accorded  to  him  (Matt.  28 :  9, 
14:33;  Luke  24:52;  Rev.  22 :  8,  9 ;  Ps.  45  : 11 ;  Rev. 
5:8,  9, 12, 13;  Heb.  1:6;  Phil.  2:10, 11). 


The  Universalist 

I:  A  STATEMENT 

The  fundamental  belief  of  the  Universalist  is 
that,  in  the  end,  all  persons  are  to  be  saved,  to 
receive  eternal  life  in  the  presence  of  and  in 
felicity  with  God.  There  is  a  vast  difference  be¬ 
tween  the  purpose  of  God,  which  is  to  transform 
men  into  his  likeness,  and  that  same  purpose  frus¬ 
trated  by  man’s  unbelief  and  disobedience. 


246  Personal  Evangelism 

We  do  not  reconcile  God’s  foreknowledge  and 
man’s  free  will,  but  we  accept  both  to  be  true. 
Man  is  not  free  if  all  must  be,  will  be  saved.  That 
conclusion  will  encourage  him  to  license,  lust  and 
a  laxity  of  any  concern,  on  his  part,  regarding  the 
gift  of  eternal  life. 

It  is  a  fact  that  in  present-day  practice  and  ex¬ 
perience  the  personal  evangelist  will  find  little 
or  no  difference  between  the  Unitarian  and  the 
Universalist ;  notwithstanding  their  different 
names  and  the  original  distinctions,  they  are 
to-day  virtually  the  same. 

II  *.  HOW  TO  MEET 

We  must  rightly  interpret  those  passages  upon 
which  the  Universalist  bases  his  plea,  such  as 
1  Tim.  2:3,  4. 

A  careful,  thoughtful  reading  of  this  passage 
clearly  indicates  the  desire,  but  not  the  determina¬ 
tion,  that  all  men  might  be  saved.  The  word 
4 ‘will”  here  used  is  equivalent  to  “was  minded” 
(Matt.  1:19). 

Again  1  Cor.  15 :  22  deals  not  with  the  matter  of 
all  men  receiving  eternal  life  in  Christ,  but  rather 
the  physical  resurrection  of  all  because  of  the 
resurrection  of  Christ.  In  Adam  all  men  died, 
physically;  in  Christ  all  shall  arise,  some  to  joy, 
some  to  everlasting  (eternal)  sorrow  (Matt. 
25:46). 


The  Unitarian  and  Universalist  247 

Finally,  emphasize  what  man  must  do  to  he 
saved  (see  Chapter  VIII,  Part  One). 

QUESTIONS 

1.  What  does  the  Unitarian  believe? 

2.  Where  is  this  cult  chiefly  found? 

3.  Why  must  we  accept  Jesus  as  God? 

4.  In  what  way  will  God  deal  with  those  who  wilfully  reject 
his  Son? 

5.  What  does  Jesus  say  on  this  question? 

6.  Under  what  guilt  does  the  Unitarian  rest? 

7.  Have  you  carefully  looked  up  all  Scripture  references  in 
this  lesson? 

8.  Show  that  Jesus  is  God. 

9.  What  is  Universalism? 

10.  How  may  we  answer  this  teaching? 


Chapter  VI 

So-Called  “Christian  Scientist” 

Probably  no  other  delusion,  unless  it  be  Spir¬ 
itualism,  has»made  such  inroads  upon  the  churches, 
including  both  the  Catholic  and  the  Jewish.  We 
must  not  underestimate  its  proselytizing  sophis¬ 
try  nor  overestimate  its  extent  and  influence, 
for  it  loves  to  set  itself  forth  as  ‘ 1  Some  great 
One.”  “ Christian  Science  is  neither  to  be  ridi¬ 
culed  nor  feared;  to  be  marveled  at  nor  tam¬ 
pered  with,  but  examined  and  classified  in  the 
light  of  the  only  divine  revelation.” — Dr.  James 
M.  Gray. 

The  “ signs  and  wonders”  it  professes  as  evi¬ 
dence  are  by  no  means  a  proof  of  its  divine 
“origin”  nor  a  testimony  to  its  truthfulness. 
Satan  has  power  and  can  deceive  “if  possible  the 
elect.”  See  Matt.  7 :  22,  23;  2  Tim.  2:  8,  9;  2  Cor. 
11 : 14, 15 ;  Matt.  24 :  24,  and  Mark  13 :  22,  23.  Like¬ 
wise  remember  Pharaoh’s  wise  men  and  Moses. 

i:  CHRISTIAN  SCIENCE  AND  THE  BIBLE 

The  many  different  and  contradictory  editions 
of  “Science  and  Health”  make  it  difficult  to  know 
the  exact  teaching  or  to  show  the  errors  of  this 
cult. 


248 


So-Called  “ Christian  Scientist ” 


249 


The  following  few  contrasts  were  selected  by 
Dr.  A.  C.  Dixon  and  are  from  the  edition  of  1909. 


The  Bible 

If  ye  then  being  evil,  know 
how  to  give  good  gifts  unto 
your  children,  how  much  more 
shall  your  Father  give  good 
things  unto  them  that  ask 
him.  (Matt  7:11.) 

*  *  * 

Whatsoever  ye  shall  ask  in 

my  name,  that  will  I  do. 
(John  14:13.) 

Now  once  in  the  end  of  the 
world  hath  he  appeared  to 

put  away  sin  by  the  sacrifice 

of  himself.  (Heb.  9:26.) 

*  #• 

Being  justified  by  faith,  we 
have  peace  with  God  through 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  (Rom. 
5:1.) 

#  *  * 

Christ  both  died  and  rose. 
(Rom.  14:9.) 


*  *  * 

See  John  14 : 16,  26. 


Christian  Science 

The  mere  habit  of  pleading 

with  the  divine  mind,  as  one 

pleads  with  a  human  being, 

perpetuates  the  belief  in  God 

as  humanly  circumscribed,  an 

error  which  impedes  spiritual 

growth.  (P.  2.) 

*  *  * 

God  is  not  influenced  by 
man.  (P.  7.) 

One  sacrifice,  however  great, 
is  insufficient  to  pay  the  debt 
of  sin.  (P.  23.) 

*  *  * 

The  atonement  requires  con¬ 
stant  self-immolation  on  the 
sinner’s  part.  (P.  23.) 

#  *  * 

Jesus’  students  did  not  per¬ 
form  (nor  understand)  many 
wonderful  works  until  they 
saw  him  after  his  crucifixion, 
and  learned  that  he  had  not 

died.  (P.  45,  46.) 

*  *  * 

The  Comforter  I  understand 
to  be  Divine  Science.  (P.  55.) 


250  Personal  Evangelism 

Dr.  Dixon  goes  on  to  contrast  a  score  more  of 
such  contradictions  in  which  evil  is  denied,  the 
Trinity  flaunted,  the  personality  of  God  denied, 
“sin  is  not  forgiven,’ ’  there  is  to  be  no  final  judg¬ 
ment,  prayer  is  “useless,”  there  is  no  material 
substance,  Jesus  is  divine  only  as  men  are  divine, 
etc.,  etc.,  ad  libitum.  It  is  indeed  Satan’s  awful 
deception. 

II :  WE  WILL  CONSIDER  SOME  OF  ITS  MOST  PRONOUNCED 

ERRORS 

1.  It  denies  the  personality  of  God.  “That 
which  will  have  all  men  to  be  saved  is  principle, 
spirit,  not  person.”  “God  is  not  a  person; 
God  is  mind  or  principle.”  To  be  a  good  prac¬ 
titioner  one  must  relinquish  the  idea  of  divine 
personality.  To  this  we  may  use  Acts  14:15; 
1  Thess.  1 : 19. 

2.  It  denies  the  deity  of  Jesus.  He  was  divine 
only  as  other  men  are,  as  emanating  from  and  be¬ 
ing  a  part  of  the  one  great  “mind  or  principle 
named  God.”  The  Bible  contradicts  this  position. 
Jesus  spoke  of  another  (Judas)  as  a  devil  and 
Paul  called  Elymas  a  “child  of  the  devil”  (Acts 
13:10).  See  Luke  1:35;  1  John  4:1-3,  5:6-8. 
Bead  again  carefully  J ohn  1:18;  Matt.  3 : 17. 

Of  course  this  false  position  precludes,  even 
denies,  the  sacrificial  death  of  Jesus,  “His  dis¬ 
ciples  believed  Jesus  dead  when  he  was  hidden  in 


So-Called  “ Christian  Scientist”  251 

the  sepulcher  whereas  he  was  alive.  ”  Look  up  1 
Cor.  15 : 1-3 ;  John  19 :  30-35. 

3.  It  denies  the  Scripture  teaching  about  sin. 
“  Jesus  never  ransomed  man  by  paying  the  debt 
that  sin  incurs.”  “Belief  in  sin  is  an  error;  in 
reality,  there  is  no  evil ;  the  soul  cannot  sin ;  sin  is 
not  real;  sin  is  an  illusion.” 

To  this  we  reply  (a)  that  the  angel  who  pro¬ 
nounced  his  name  did  not  believe  this  (Matt. 
1:  21) ;  (b)  that  he  himself  contradicts  such  teach¬ 
ing  (Luke  19 : 10) ;  (c)  that  he  forgave  sin  as 
something  that  really  existed  (Mark  2:5;  John 
8:11),  and  taught  us  to  pray  for  “forgiveness” 
(Luke  11:4);  (d)  that  his  followers  clearly 
taught,  in  their  records  of  his  sayings  and  their 
subsequent  interpretation  and  application  of  the 
principles  of  his  life,  that  he  came  into  the  world 
to  die  for  sin.  If  he  did  not,  then  his  death  was 
either  a  phantasy,  the  death  of  a  madman  or  a 
fool.  See  Romans  5:12;  James  1:15;  John 
8 : 21,  24. 

4.  One  of  its  most  significant  developments  is 
its  appeal  to  selfishness.  Poverty  is  a  disgrace 
and  a  crime,  hence  without  the  pale  of  this  cult 
and  no  appeal  is  made  to  relieve  it.  There  is  no 
such  thing  as  sickness  and  disease,  hence  no  char¬ 
ity  to  be  expended  on  hospitals  or  similar  relief. 
There  is  no  appeal  to  reach  the  unsaved,  for  there 
is  no  such  thing  as  sin,  hence  no  missionary  ex¬ 
pense  or  sacrifice  called  for. 


252  Personal  Evangelism 

Christian  Science  is  a  money  and  a  society 
propaganda.  No  church,  we  are  informed,  can  be 
organized  without  first  opening  a  free  reading 
room  equipped  with  printed  matter  furnished  by 
the  Boston  headquarters  printing  house. 

There  is  no  sickness,  and  yet  its  practitioners 
are  not  expected  to  “  treat  ”  charity  patients  un¬ 
less  they  be  paid  a  fixed  charge. 

Certainly  the  mind  can  have  effects  upon  the 
body,  especially  the  nervous  system,  and  an 
abundance  of  testimony  proves  that  God  has,  and 
does,  answer  and  heal  at  times  by  simple  faith 
through  prayer.  But  for  any  person  to  be  granted 
the  right  to  juggle  the  meaning  of  such  words  as 
“God,  evil,  pain,  disease,  death,  prayer,  and  all  of 
Holy  Writ,  is  a  blatant  sacrilege’ ’  (Gal.  1:8;  1 
John  4:1-3). 


QUESTIONS 

1.  Why  are  the  so-called  “cures”  of  Christian  Science  not  a 
proof  of  its  truthfulness? 

2.  Enumerate  some  of  the  principal  contradictions  of  the 
teachings  of  Christian  Science  and  the  Word  of  God. 

3.  Refute  the  false  teaching  regarding: 

(a)  The  personality  of  God. 

(b)  The  deity  of  Christ. 

(c)  The  question  of  sin. 

4.  What  is  some  of  the  evidence  which  goes  to  show  the 
selfishness  of  this  cult? 

5.  By  what  Scriptural  test  may  we  judge  all  forms  of  error? 


Chapter  VII 

The  Spiritualist 

The  Great  War,  with  its  tremendous  death  toll 
and  consequent  separation  of  loved  ones,  gave  this 
snare  of  evil  a  tremendous  impulse.  Many  sin¬ 
cere  but  deceived  people  have  turned  to  Spiritual¬ 
ism  in  the  vain  hope  of  holding  communication 
with  their  departed  loved  ones. 


I*.  THE  FACTS 

1.  It  is  useless  to  deny  the  presence  and  work 
of  a  spirit  world.  At  the  same  time  we  need  to 
remember  that  an  overwhelming  part  of  the  so- 
called  manifestations  is  trickery  and  legerde¬ 
main.  We  must  remember  that  Satan  has  power 
to  “manifest”  himself,  and  as  he  is  a  “liar  and 
the  father  of  lies,”  we  may  rest  assured  that  he 
will  “clothe  himself  as  an  angel  of  light”  and  go 
about  endeavoring  to  deceive  the  elect. 

2.  We  must  remember  that  the  Bible  recognizes 
the  presence  and  power  of  evil  spirits  upon  the 
earth  and  distinctly  warns  us  against  and  sets  a 
prohibition  upon  our  having  any  dealings  there¬ 
with  (  Isa.  8:19,20;  Deut.  18:10-12;  Lev.  19:31; 
2  Kings  21:1,2,6). 


253 


254 


Personal  Evangelism 


II :  EVIL  SPIRITS 

1.  The  kinds.  The  Bible  tells  ns  of  those  in 
chains  (2  Peter  2:4)  awaiting  punishment,  and 
those  who  are  actively  obeying  the  behests  of  their 
master  (Eph.  6 : 11, 12) . 

2.  Their  origin.  We  are  not  taught  as  to  their 
origin  except  that  they  were  created  by  God  ( Col. 
1:16).  Jesus  said  of  some  that  their  father  was 
the  devil  (John  8 :  44),  and  these  were  incarnate  in 
human  form.  Paul  warns  us  of  pride  lest  we  enter 
into  the  condemnation  of  evil  spirits  (1  Tim. 
3:6,7).  Jude  also  sets  forth  the  punishment  re¬ 
served  for  those  possessed  of  evil  spirits  (Jude 
6,7). 

3.  Their  character. 

(a)  They  are  unclean  (Judges  9:23;  Luke 

7:21;  Matt.  10:1,  7:22;  Deut. 

32:17). 

(b)  They  are  Satan’s  agents  (Matt. 

12:26,  27,  25:41). 

(c)  They  may  inflict  maladies  (Matt. 

12:22;  Luke  13:16). 

(d)  They  are  in  conflict  with  believers  and 

seek  to  seduce  all  such  from  the 

truth  (1  Kings  22 :  22 ;  1  Tim.  4 : 1,  2 ; 

Eph.  6:12). 

4.  Their  fate.  Unless  God  is  omnipotent,  we 
are  of  all  men  “most  miserable,”  but  he  will  rule 


The  Spiritualist  2 55 

and  bring  all  things  in  subjection  to  his  Son  (Phil. 
2 :  9-11;  Heb.  2 :  8,  9). 

We  are  told  distinctly  what  the  end  of  these  evil 
spirits  is  to  be  (Matt.  8 :  29  and  Luke  8:31). 

hi:  APPLICATION 

A  careful  study  of  the  foregoing  will  explain  in 
one  way  or  another  more  than  99  per  cent  of  the 
so-called  ‘  ‘  manifestations  ’  ’  of  Spiritualism.  Most 
of  those  who  deal  in  the  occult,  particularly  the  so- 
called  mediums,  are  in  it  for  selfish,  financial 
reasons. 

Once  a  person  begins  to  have  anything  what¬ 
ever  to  do  with  Spiritualism,  he  is  upon  dangerous 
ground,  for  the  infection  of  its  virus,  the  chican¬ 
ery,  sophistry  and  deceit,  are  so  insidious,  so 
gradual  and  deceiving,  that  before  one  is  aware 
of  it  he  is  lost.  Again,  the  open  assaults  upon 
every  orthodox  belief  in  Christ,  the  Bible,  even  in 
God,  by  Spiritualism  are  a  most  blasphemous 
heresy.  Some  of  its  present-day  exponents,  like 
Conan  Boyle,  take  the  most  advanced  ground  of 
the  agnostic  and  infidel. 

There  is  also  the  immoral  side  of  the  whole 
matter.  The  famous  Fox  Sisters  confessed,  late 
in  life,  that  by  cracking  their  toe  joints  they  per¬ 
formed  some  of  their  spiritual  demonstrations. 
The  exposures  of  lying  and  deceitful  mediums 


256  Personal  Evangelism 

have  been  myriad.  And  these  immoralities  and 
scandals  have  cast  suspicion  upon  every  woman 
(and  it  is  chiefly  women  who  act  as  mediums)  who 
lends  herself  to  this  deceiving  art. 

We  need  to  remember  the  record  of  1  Chronicles 
10 : 13  where  we  are  told  expressly  that  Saul  lost 
his  life  and  his  kingdom  because  he  had  dealings 
with  spiritism. 

David  explicitly  emphasized  the  separation  of 
the  dead  from  the  living  (2  Samuel  12 :  21-23),  and 
while  Jesus  speaks  of  the  “ministering  spirits,” 
he  is  referring  to  angels  (another  rank  in  crea¬ 
tion),  and  not  to  the  spirits  of  our  departed  ones. 
Nowhere  does  our  Lord  intimate  that  there  is  any 
physical  or  audible  communication  between  these 
and  those  now  living  (Heb.  1 : 14). 

Sir  Oliver  Lodge  has  recently  admitted  that  the 
medium  through  whom  he  has  been  obtaining  his 
messages  from  the  dead  (supposedly)  had  some¬ 
times  lied  and  thereby  gave  away  his  whole  spir¬ 
itualistic  case,  for  God  does  not  talk  to  us  through 
liars. 


QUESTIONS 

1.  Outline  fully  the  facts  regarding  Spiritualism. 

2.  What  kinds  of  evil  spirits  are  upon  the  earth? 

3.  What  does  the  Bible  teach  as  to  the  origin  and  character 
of  evil  spirits? 

4.  What  is  the  application  of  the  Bible  teaching  regarding 
evil  spirits? 


257 


The  Spiritualist 

5.  V/hat  additional  reasons  have  we  for  avoiding  this  cult? 

6.  What  did  David  and  Jesus  teach  about  our  communication 
with  the  dead? 

7.  Why  is  it  so  dangerous  to  tamper  with  spiritism  ? 

8.  What  reason  does  the  Bible  give  for  Saul’s  loss  of  his 
kingdom  ? 

9.  To  what  was  the  author  of  Hebrews  referring  when  he 
spoke  of  “ministering  spirits”? 

10.  What  is  the  weakness  of  Sir  Oliver  Lodge’s  statement? 


Chapter  VIII 

The  Russellite 

A  self-styled  “pastor”  culled,  from  God  only 
knows  where,  several  volumes  of  professed  Bible 
studies  and  under  oath  in  a  Toronto  court  con¬ 
fessed  that  he  had  lied  about  his  assumptions  of 
scholarship  and  knowledge  of  the  original  tongues. 

Like  all  false  teaching,  this  is  a  proselytizing, 
not  an  evangelizing,  movement.  Its  chief  appeal 
is  to  that  large  class  of  church  members  who  are 
spiritually  hungry,  Scripturally  ignorant,  unwill¬ 
ing  to  pay  the  price  of  personal  study  and  ready 
to  accept  anything  they  are  told  (due  to  their 
ignorance)  if  it  but  be  told  with  proper  dogma¬ 
tism  and  self-assertion.  Its  audacity  is  revealed 
by  the  words  of  its  founder:  “Accept  my  inter¬ 
pretation  of  the  Bible  and  I  will  prove  everything 
I  say.” 


I:  ITS  TEACHING  ABOUT  THE  BIBLE 

If  Russell  was  right,  then  all  that  has  ever 
passed  for  Scriptural  truth  and  orthodox  Chris¬ 
tianity  from  Paul  to  the  present  day  is  wrong, 
for  there  is  not  a  single  point  in  harmony.  Lack¬ 
ing  professed  scholarship  and  a  knowledge  of  the 

258 


The  Russellite 


259 


original  tongues  does  not  debar  true  Biblical  in¬ 
formation.  Mr.  Moody  is  a  case  in  point.  But 
never  have  such  men  songbt  to  establish  a  new 
system  of  faith  or  sought  to  repudiate  and  over¬ 
throw  the  results  of  orthodox  teaching  and  com¬ 
ment. 

Russell,  as  a  sample,  in  his  comment  upon  the 
story  of  Lazarus,  makes  Abraham  to  symbolize 
God ;  Lazarus  the  Gentiles,  and  the  rich  man  suing 
for  a  drop  of  water  with  which  to  cool  his  tongue, 
the  Jews  of  America  asking  the  President  to  in¬ 
terfere  with  the  Czar  of  Russia  on  behalf  of  their 
brethren.  His  insistence  that  the  millennium  came 
in  1914  (in  spite  of  Matt.  24:36)  is  another  exam¬ 
ple  of  his  wresting  of  the  Scriptures. 

As  to  the  character  of  this  commentator,  it  is 
court  record  that  his  wife  was  granted  a  divorce 
on  the  grounds  of  improper  relations  with  other 
women;  it  is  court  record  that  he  sought  to  de¬ 
fraud  by  transferring  title  to  property;  it  is  his¬ 
tory  that  he  induced  folk  to  dispose  of  property 
because  “the  age  was  ending”;  and  it  is  history 
that  he  defrauded  in  the  “Miracle  Wheat”  trans¬ 
actions.  Wheat  that,  for  “elect  believers,”  would 
yield  one  hundred-fold  was  sold  for  $5.00  per 
pound  and  found  to  be  ordinary  American  wheat. 
Look  up  2  Tim.  4 : 3  and  2  Thess.  2 : 11. 


260 


Personal  Evangelism 


II :  ITS  TEACHINGS  ABOUT  THE  LORD  JESUS 

(With  Scripture  references  in  reply.) 

1.  Jesus  was  the  Archangel  Michael.  See  John 

1:1. 

2.  Jesus  had  but  one  nature,  his  human  nature. 
See  Heb.  2 : 17-18 ;  John  4:25,  26 ;  1 : 18. 

3.  Jesus  was  in  no  way  a  substitute  Savior. 
See  1  Peter  2 :  24  and  Rom.  4 :  25. 

4.  At  his  crucifixion  he  ceased  to  exist.  See 
1  Cor.  15  :  4-8. 

5.  He  did  not  exist  before  his  incarnation.  See 
John  1 : 1,  1 : 14,  5  : 12-13 ;  Phil.  1 :  5,  6. 

6.  He  was  not  raised  from  the  dead,  but  his 
body  was  either  spirited  away  or  else  passed  off 
in  gases.  See  Acts  1 :  9,  7 :  55,  56. 

7.  Jesus  is  to-day  an  invisible  spirit.  See  Rom. 
6:4,5. 

8.  Christ  came  back  to  earth  in  1914 — our  an¬ 
swer  is  fourfold : 

(a)  The  day  of  his  coming  is  unknown. 

See  Matt.  25 :  36. 

(b)  The  saints  are  then  to  be  raised.  See 

1  Tim.  5 : 1,  2. 

(c)  The  saints  found  on  earth  are  to  be 

“  caught  up. ’  ’  See  1  Thess.  4 : 16, 17. 

(d)  There  is  to  be  a  separation  when  he 

appears.  See  Matt.  24 :  40,  41. 

To  this  Dr.  Haldeman  adds  that  the  “restraint” 


The  Russellite 


261 


(2  Thess.  2:7)  of  the  “Man  of  sin”  still  exists 
and  the  Holy  Spirit  is  hindering  the  power  of  law¬ 
lessness,  hence  Christ  has  not  yet  come. 

Russell  is  the  most  blatant,  outspoken  and  blas¬ 
phemous  of  all  the  enemies  of  Christ  from  the  days 
of  Arius  to  the  modern  Unitarian. 

hi:  ITS  TEACHING  ABOUT  SALVATION 

1.  Christ’s  work  was  not  “finished,”  but  the 
members  of  his  body,  the  Church,  must  continue 
and  complete  his  sacrifice  (Heb.  9:26). 

2.  Eternal  life  is  only  to  be  gained  at  some 
future  time  (John  5:24;  Rom.  8 : 12). 

3.  Men  are  4  ‘  born  ’  ’  again  after  the  resurrection 
(John  1 : 12,  etc.). 

4.  Sanctification  and  justification,  according  to 
Russell,  are  the  result  of  perfect  works  (Rom 
5:1;  Jas.  2  :  23). 

5.  Russell  taught  that  believers  may  fall  from 
grace  and  perish  at  the  second  death  (John 
10:27-29). 

Russell  sought  to  harmonize  Calvinism,  Armin- 
ianism  and  Unitarianism.  There  was  nothing  in 
the  mind  of  God  too  hard  for  him  to  offer  an' “ex¬ 
planation.” 

IV  :  ITS  TEACHING  ABOUT  THE  FUTURE  LIFE 

1.  He  taught  a  probationary  period  after  death. 
If,  during  that  period,  men  should  fail  they  were 


262  Personal  Evangelism 

to  be  annihilated;  if  they  stand  the  test,  they  are 
to  receive  eternal  life  (John  3:36).  We  reply: 

(a)  The  New  Testament  teaches  consciousness 
after  death  (Matt.  26:  24). 

(b)  That  death  is  not  the  extinction  of  being 
(Matt.  10 :  28 ;  1  Thess.  5:23). 

(c)  Christ  lived  after  death,  so  likewise  Moses 
and  Elijah. 

Russell  said  that  Nero  would  yet  awake  and  be 
given  strength  and  health,  though  an  object  of  con¬ 
tempt.  Such  an  experience  would  be  to  him  a 
“ valuable  asset”  if  he  lived  decently  one  hundred 
years  and  then  desired  to  return  to  non-existence, 
all  right,  or  if  he  surrendered  to  God  he  would 
enjoy  cleanness  and  be  honored  in  heaven  and 
earth.  What  blasphemy  ! 

COXCLUSIOX 

According  to  Russell,  Jesus  was  a  god,  but  not 
God,  and  called  so  in  an  inferior  sense.  His  death 
was  the  death  of  a  mere  man.  His  humanity  is 
denied.  The  Holy  Spirit  was  but  the  influence  of 
God  and  “The  Three-in-one”  doctrine  a  “relic  of 
the  dark  ages.” 

Russeliism  does  not  seek  sinners,  but  perverts 
saints;  it  denies  eternal  life  now;  it  makes  “God 
a  liar”;  offers  a  chance  in  the  age  to  come,  and  is 
an  enemy  of  the  evangelical  faith  of  all  true  be¬ 
lievers. 


The  Russellite 


263 


QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  the  difference  between  proselytizing  and  evan¬ 
gelizing  ? 

2.  Why  are  Russell’s  Scriptural  comments  false? 

3.  What  has  been  proven  of  Russell’s  character? 

4.  Give  the  eight  points  regarding  Russell’s  teachings  about 
Jesus  and  your  answer  to  each. 

5.  What  is  the  error  of  his  teaching  regarding  salvation? 

6.  Answer  the  Russellite  teaching  regarding  a  second  proba¬ 
tion. 

7.  How  do  we  know  that  Jesus  did  not  come  back  to  the 
earth  in  1914,  not  even  in  a  “spiritual  sense”  ? 

8.  What  was  Russell’s  summary  regarding  the  future  life  of 
Nero? 

9.  What  was  the  “Miracle  Wheat”  transaction  of  Russell? 

10.  Give  in  your  own  words  the  “Conclusion”  of  this  lesson. 


Chapter  IX 

The  Mormons 

i:  HISTORICAL 

1.  Accused  by  liis  own  followers  of  dishonesty 
and  immorality,  engaged  in  much  disgraceful 
argumentation  and  many  unseemly  brawls  and 
fights,  a  fugitive  from  arrest  in  two  states,  Ohio 
and  Missouri,  a  charlatan  and  a  fraud  of  the 
worst  and  most  pronounced  type,  Joseph  Smith 
combined  his  financial  greed  with  the  pseudo¬ 
religious  history  and  “  revelations  ”  of  Amer¬ 
ica  and  an  imaginary  people  as  recorded  by 
one  Solomon  Spaulding,  into  a  religious  sys¬ 
tem  and  propaganda  which  culminated  in  a 
‘ ‘ martyrdom ”  in  the  Carthage  (Ill.)  jail  in 
1844.  True,  his  death  was  a  murder,  still  Joseph 
Smith  alone  was  responsible  for  an  inflamed  pub¬ 
lic  mind  caused  by  his  defiance  of  public  opinion 
and  of  the  authority  of  the  state  and  he  died  with 
a  six-shooter  in  his  hand  fighting  the  mob.  Had 
he  not  thus  been  killed  the  probability  is  that  his 
movement  would  have  died  a  natural  death  due  to 
its  own  defects  and  weaknesses. 

2.  Mormonism  has  one  branch  known  as  the 
“Re-organized  Church  of  the  Latter  Day  Saints’ ’ 

264 


The  Mormons 


265 


which  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  Utah  “Brigliam- 
ites,”  repudiates  polygamy  and  is  a  law-abiding 
people  with  whom  we  are  not  concerned.  The 
Utah  crowd  never  uses  the  term  “Re-organized” 
and  calls  such  the  “  Josephites.” 

For  a  good  history  and  study  of  the  whole  move¬ 
ment  we  recommend  “Mormonism,  the  Islam  of 
America,”  by  Dr.  Bruce  Kinney,  New  York,  Flem¬ 
ing  H.  Revell,  or  any  book  room. 

3.  We  will  not  go  over  the  black  record  of  the 
Mountain  Meadow  massacre,  the  details  of  the 
blood  covenant  and  the  shameful  deceit,  fraud  and 
frequent  political  change  of  face  that  are  matters 
of  Mormon  recorded  history.  Rather  we  will  look, 
in  a  most  condensed  manner,  at  the  blasphemous 
teaching  of  a  so-called  church  which  is  to-day 
America’s  great  moral  and  political  ulcer;  one 
which  preaches  that  it  is  superior  to  the  United 
States  Government  and  that  they,  the  Mormons, 
are  one  day  to  “spoil  the  Gentiles”;  one  that 
holds  the  balance  of  political  power  in  at  least 
three  states  and  is  a  factor  with  which  to  reckon 
in  several  others ;  a  movement  that  is  to-day  send¬ 
ing  out  its  missionaries  literally  by  the  thousands 
each  year  into  the  whole  world,  not  at  the  cost 
of  the  Utah  body  or  even  by  their  own  honest 
labors,  but  rather  to  “sponge”  or  graft  upon  the 
unsuspecting  or  liberal  hearted  as  they  teach  and 
deceive  those  who  will  listen  to  their  falsehoods 
and  sophistries. 


266  Personal  Evangelism 

4.  Mormonism  is  a  tithing  system  of  the  most 
rigid  and  minute  discipline  and  for  these  funds 
the  “ Apostles’ ’  are  not  obligated  to  render  any 
accounting.  To  demand  such  publicity  would  be 
a  sin.  Further  the  church  is  engaged  in  big  busi¬ 
ness  enterprises  to  the  extent  of  a  monopoly  in 
some  lines.  It  has  been  known  to  sell  to  outsiders 
for  less  than  to  its  own  in  order  to  defeat  Gentile 
competition. 


ii  :  DOCTRINES 

1.  Mormonism  professes  to  follow  the  teachings 
of  the  Bible,  the  “Book  of  Mormon,”  the  “Book 
of  Doctrines  and  Covenants”  and  “The  Pearl  of 
Great  Price.”  In  spite  of  this  we  hear  President 
Woodruff  saying — “compared  with,”  as  he  piled 
these  books  upon  the  pulpit  before  him,  “the  living 
oracle  these  are  nothing  to  me.”  That  is  to  say 
that  the  President  of  the  Apostles  as  the  mouth¬ 
piece  of  the  church  is  superior  to  these  documents 
and  his  utterances,  his  “revelations,”  have  au¬ 
thority  over  members  of  the  Mormon  Church,  no 
matter  how  they  may  conflict  with  or  even  con¬ 
tradict  these  books. 

2.  Mormonism  teaches  that  Adam  is  our  father- 
god  and  that  God  was  once  as  we  now  are,  is  not 
and  never  was  a  spirit  but  rather  a  man  even  as 
Brigham  Young  was  a  man.  The  Kingdom  of 
God,  they  teach,  is  in  the  Mormon  priesthood; 


The  Mormons  267 

to  disobey  that  priesthood  is  to  disobey  God,  for 
it  is  God,  acts  for  God,  is  in  reality  God. 

Jesus  is  taught  to  be  the  son  of  Adam-God  and 
of  Mary  by  procreation,  son  of  the  father  Adam 
who  was  the  first  of  the  human  race.  He,  Jesns, 
was  a  polygamist  and  at  the  wedding  in  Cana  mar¬ 
ried  the  two  Marys  and  Martha.  Joseph  Smith 
was  one  of  his  descendants. 

The  Holy  Spirit  is  an  ethereal  essence  or  sub¬ 
stance  that  is  to  be  received  by  the  laying  on  of 
hands  by  the  priesthood. 

Sin  was  a  necessity.  Had  Adam  not  partaken 
of  the  forbidden  fruit,  he,  and  we,  had  not  known 
good  and  evil  nor  have  had  mortal  posterity. 

The  Redemption  of  Christ  was  for  the  sin  of 
Adam  and  our  redemption  can  come  only  through 
our  obedience  to  the  Mormon  Church. 

3.  To  get  rid  of  our  sins  we  must  work  them 
out  in  the  Mormon  Church,  learn  to  be  gods  as  all 
gods  have  before  us.  Plural  wives  are  a  means 
of  grace,  for  the  more  human  habitations  (bodies) 
that  are  given  to  the  disembodied  spirits  about  us 
the  higher  will  be  our  honor  and  glory  in  the  world* 
to  come. 

A  woman  can  gain  heaven  only  as  she  is  spon¬ 
sored  or  “sealed”  by  some  man  and  if  she  is  will¬ 
ing  and  obedient  here  on  earth  she  will  become 
the  wife  of  a  god  hereafter  with  all  of  the  emolu¬ 
ments  and  honors  thereunto  appertaining. 

The  living  may  be  baptized  for  the  dead  (at  so 


268  Personal  Evangelism 

much  per)  and  Mormons  are  urged  to  get  their 
genealogies  that  their  ancestors  may  thus  be 
vicariously  baptized. 

hi:  SUMMARY 

It  is  a  black  page  of  history  that  records  the 
manner  in  which  Mormons  fought  the  Gentiles 
who  went  to  or  even  tried  to  pass  through  Utah, 
and,  after  an  attempt  to  enter  the  Union  as  a 
state  independent  of  the  Government,  it  then 
had  a  convenient  “ revelation’ ?  setting  aside,  for 
the  time  being,  and  to  conform  with  the  Edmonds 
Act  of  Congress,  its  teaching  about  polygamy. 
Not  yet  has  that  doctrine  been  abrogated  and  he 
would  be  a  brave  man,  though  of  doubtful 
veracity,  who  would  claim  that  this  last  “revela¬ 
tion”  has  been  altogether  lived  up  to  in  letter  or 
in  spirit. 

The  “Home  Missions  Council,”  a  representa¬ 
tive  body  of  all  Protestant  Home  Missionary 
Societies,  has  prepared  a  tract  entitled,  “Ten 
Reasons  Why  Christians  Cannot  Fellowship  with 
the  Mormon  Church,”  a  summary  of  which  is  as 
follows : 

1.  The  Mormon  church  unchurches  all  Chris¬ 
tians.  All  of  whatever  name  or  nation  from  Apos¬ 
tolic  times  to  the  present  are  apostate  from  the 
truth  and  propagators  of  false  doctrines,  without 
authority  to  teach  or  perform  churchly  duties  and 


The  Mormons  269 

salvation  is  to  be  found  alone  in  the  Mormon 
church. 

2.  The  Mormon  books  are  on  a  par  with  the 
Bible  and  must  be  accepted  as  of  equal  inspiration 
and  authority.  The  same  is  also  true  of  the  so- 
called  “  revelations/  ’  both  past  and  present. 

3.  Mormons  make  belief  in  the  person  and  mis¬ 
sion  of  Joseph  Smith  as  a  prophet  of  God  essen¬ 
tial  to  faith  and  he  who  rejects  his  claims  as  4 ‘the 
modern  prophet”  is  a  rank  heretic. 

4.  Faith  in  the  Mormon  priesthood  and  sub¬ 
mission  thereto  is  essential  to  future  blessedness, 
to  refuse  is  to  be  damned. 

5.  The  Mormon  teaching  about  God  is  dishonor¬ 
ing  to  the  Divine  Being  for  he  is  only  an  exalted 
man,  forever  changing  but  never  becoming  abso¬ 
lutely  perfect. 

6.  Mormons  teach  that  Adam  is  God  and  that 
Jesus  Christ  is  his  son  by  natural  generation. 

7.  Mormonism  is  polytheistic.  There  is  a  plur¬ 
ality  of  gods.  Being  men  they  became  gods  by 
plural,  celestial  marriages. 

8.  Mormonism  requires  faith  in  Joseph  Smith, 
Mormon  books  and  the  priesthood  as  absolutely 
necessary  to  salvation.  The  Atonement  of  Christ 
was  for  original  sin  but  we  must  depend  upon  our 
good  works.  It  also  teaches  baptism  for  the  dead, 
thus  encouraging  people  to  remain  impenitent. 

9.  Mormonism  believes  in  Polygamy  as  a  sacred 
and  fundamental  doctrine.  The  manifesto  of  Sep- 


270  Personal  Evangelism 

tember  24, 1890,  was  not  a  repudiation  and  did  not 
claim  to  be  such.  They  bold  the  principle  as  eter¬ 
nal  as  God  himself. 

10.  Mormonism  teaches  that  God  is  a  polyga¬ 
mist;  the  natural  father  of  all  intelligent  beings 
and  that  angels,  men  and  devils  are  his  offspring 
by  procreation  or  natural  generation ;  that  Adam 
was  the  father  of  Christ’s  human  nature  even  as 
Brigham  Young  was  the  father  of  his  children. 

QUESTIONS 

1.  Give  a  summary  of  Mormonism. 

2.  Have  you  read  any  books  on  Mormonism  ? 

3.  Give  a  complete  summary  of  tbe  Mormon  teaching  about: 

(a)  God, 

(b)  Jesus  Christ, 

(c)  Baptism. 

4.  Upon  what  authority  does  Mormonism  base  its  teachings 
about  polygamy? 

5.  Explain  from  this  lesson  how  we  are  to  account  for  the 
hold  that  Mormonism  has  upon  womanhood. 

6.  Have  you  ever  come  into  contact  with  Mormon  missionaries 
or  read  any  of  their  literature?  If  so,  relate  your  experi¬ 
ence. 

7.  Do  you  know  anything  about  the  Mormon  tithing  system? 
Its  “big  business”?  Have  you  ever  bought  any  salt  of  the 
Inland  Salt  Co.? 

8.  State  the  importance  of  Joseph  Smith  to  the  Mormon 
belief. 

9.  What  is  the  estimated  importance  and  value  of  polygamy 
to  a  Mormon? 

10.  Wherein  is  the  great  political  danger  of  this  system 
to  America  ? 


Chapter  X 

Pentecostalism — So-Called  “Holy  Rollers” 

A  strangely  recurring  religious  phenomenon  is 
the  constant  search  after  new  and  erotic  emotions ; 
the  chasing  after  spiritual  will-o’-the-wisps,  and 
the  readiness  to  accept  the  pronouncements  of  pro¬ 
fessed  religious  leaders  without  assurance  that 
these  teachers  are  above  par  morally  or  have  the 
whole  and  full  authority  of  the  Bible  upon  which 
to  base  their  teachings  or  explain  their  theories 
and  experience. 

In  every  city  we  find  all  sorts  of  pseudo¬ 
religious  gatherings,  enough  to  make  one  dizzy. 
These  movements  are  paralleled  in  the  country 
and  smaller  places  by  the  spread  of  cults  and 
“isms,”  most  of  which  depend  upon  a  leadership 
so  obsessed  with  one  or  two  ideas  as  to  shape  all 
Scripture  to  suit  their  ends. 

If  the  churches  would  spend  a  fraction  of  the 
same  energy  and  foresight  in  looking  after  their 
members  and  enlisting  them  in  service  as  it  does 
to  get  men  to  make  a  profession  of  faith,  we  would 
feed  the  spiritually  hungry  and  Scripturally 
undernourished,  who  rebel  at  our  coldness,  and 
reduce  the  tide  of  our  losses  to  these  cults  to  a 
mere  rivulet. 


271 


272  Personal  Evangelism 

The  growth  of  Pentecostalism,  incorrectly  called 
“Holy  Rollers/ ’  has  been  noticeable  during  the 
past  twenty  years. 

i:  HISTORICAL, 

Beginning  in  a  rescue  mission  in  Brooklyn,  New 
York,  in  1894,  and  later  uniting  with  various  Holi¬ 
ness  churches,  there  is  now  a  large  organization 
known  as  the  “General  Assembly  of  the  Church 
of  the  N azarene.  ’  ’  The  ‘  ‘  Church  of  God  ’ ’  is  also  a 
Pentecostal  body  differing  in  its  insistence  upon 
immersion  as  the  only  mode  of  baptism  and  the 
matter  of  divine  healing. 

Correctly,  we  are  told,  the  “Holy  Rollers’ 9  are 
still  another,  and  a  very  noisy  body,  having  its 
headquarters  at  Waukesha,  Wis.,  and  as  its  official 
organ  the  “Burning  Bush.”  But  to  the  general 
manifestations  of  Pentecostalism  it  seems  to  be 
easy  to  give  this  general  designation  of  “Holy 
Rollers.” 


ii  :  DOCTRINES 

On  the  matter  of  the  Trinity,  the  Virgin  Birth, 
Inspiration  of  the  Scriptures,  man’s  need  of  re¬ 
demption  through  the  sacrificial  death  of  Christ 
and  the  bodily  return  of  our  Lord,  Pentecostal¬ 
ism  stands  with  every  ’orthodox  creed.  Various 
branches  differ  on  the  mode  of  water  baptism,  but 


Pentecostalism — So-Called  “Holy  Rollers”  273 

all,  seemingly,  are  correct  in  their  teachings  about 
the  Lord’s  Supper. 


m:  ERRORS 

1.  The  main  error  of  Pentecostalism  seems  to 
be  with  regard  to  sanctification  which  is  taught 
to  be  a  “ second  work  of  grace,”  the  same  to  be 
received  on  the  occasion  of  one’s  “ Pentecost”  or 
“ Baptism  of  the  Spirit.”  Testimony  is  to  the 
fact  that  this  ‘ 4  pentecost”  is  to  be  made  manifest 
to  the  recipient  and  to  observers  by  the  “gift  of 
tongues”  or  by  some  physical  effect,  such  as  danc¬ 
ing  or  rolling  upon  the  floor. 

[Note:  True,  the  “Manual”  does  not  so  state, 
and  some  leaders  deny  this  teaching,  nevertheless 
all  testimony  is  to  the  effect  that  great  physical 
excesses  are  emphasized,  looked  for,  and  do  show 
themselves  almost  everywhere  that  Pentecostalism 
is  preached;  therefore  we  are  considering  the 
movement  along  this  line  and  that  of  divine  heal¬ 
ing.] 

After  an  honest  endeavor  we  have  yet  to  au¬ 
thenticate  a  single  case  where  modern  speaking  in 
tongues  has  ever  been  in  any  known  language  or 
dialect  possible  of  interpretation. 

Sanctification  literally  and  Scripturally  means 
to  be  set  apart  or  consecrated  to  God  and  it  is  not 
alone  the  work  of  the  Spirit  separate  from  Christ. 
He — Christ — is  both  our  Redeemer  and  our  Sane- 


27 4  Personal  Evangelism 

tifier  (1  Cor.  1 :  30,  31).  We  are  baptized  once  and 
for  all  into  bis  Body,  though  we  do  need  frequent 
infillings  of  the  Spirit  (1  Cor.  3:16,  6:19;  Eph. 
1 : 13 ;  2  Cor.  6 : 16).  He,  the  Spirit,  does  not  speak 
of  himself  (Eph.  5 : 18-25)  and  does  not  come  upon 
us  for  physical,  spectacular  purposes.  He  is  not 
dependent  upon  an  assemblage  of  believers  and 
gives  to  each  believer,  “  severally  as  he  willeth,” 
such  gifts,  enduements  or  enablements,  as  he 
deems  best  to  make  us  effective  servants  and  wit¬ 
nesses  of  and  for  Christ  (1  Cor.  12). 

2.  Sanctification  (and  the  gift  of  tongues)  does 
not  mean  sinlessness  nor  does  it  exempt  from 
penalties  for  the  violations  of  natural  law  nor  of 
those  acts,  which  if  committed  by  unbelievers, 
would  be  termed  sin. 

Sanctification  is  not  eradication  of  sin  from  the 
life  nor  is  it  the  suppression  of  sin  in  the  life.  It 
is  rather  being  taken  possession  of  by  the  Spirit 
so  that  the  believer  is  in  spirit,  soul  and  body 
made  holy.  Sanctification  does  not  mean  imme¬ 
diate  perfection.  Every  brick  in  the  church  house 
is  sanctified  (set  apart)  to  Godly  use,  but  not 
every  brick  is  by  any  means  perfect.  Sanctifica¬ 
tion  and  holiness  are  counteraction,  a  changed 
attitude  of  life. 

Look  the  devil  in  the  face  and  say,  “you  have 
no  territory  in  my  life  over  which  I  acknowledge 
your  dominion,  for  I  am  wholly  god^.’*  He,  the 
Spirit,  will  thus  give  us  the  victory  through  Christ. 


Pentecostalism — So-Called  “Holy  Rollers "  275 

Our  “old  man  was  crucified  with  him,  that  the 
body  of  sin  might  be  done  away”  (Rom.  6:6), 
literally: — robbed  of  power,  not  destroyed  but 
rendered  inoperative.  (See  Greek.) 

3.  We  need  to  distinguish  between  “gifts”  and 
“signs”  spoken  of  in  the  Scriptures.  The  gifts  or 
enduements  remain  whereas  the  signs  pass  away. 
We  are  not  to  seek  signs  but  gifts.  That  speaking 
in  tongues  was  a  sign  which  has  passed  away  we 
are  warranted  in  saying  from  a  study  of  Ephe¬ 
sians  4 :  3-16.  We  know  that  the  office  of  an  apostle 
has  passed  away  yet  we  are  to  build  thereon  (Eph. 
2:19-20),  so  with  these  signs — we  are  not  to  be 
looking  for  them  but  rather  to  go  forward  and 
build  thereon.  To  look  for  some  physical  mani¬ 
festation  as  the  evidence  of  the  Spirit’s  presence 
in  a  believer  shows  a  lack  of  a  “spirit  of  power 
and  love  and  discipline,”  literally — sound  sense 
(2  Timothy  1 :  7, 14,  Moffatt).  To  look  for  a  sign 
of  the  Holy  Spirit’s  “pentecost”  as  taught  in  the 
Nazarene  “Manual”  would  compel  all  of  us  to 
pass  through  the  same  mold  of  experience,  the  in¬ 
quirer  seeking  one  only  work  of  the  Spirit,  one 
only  evidence  of  his  power  and  presence  in  the  life. 
As  against  this  we  should  remember  that  the 
knowledge  of  the  enablement  or  enduement  of  the 
Spirit  for  a  particular  service  is  usually  a  gradual 
revelation. 

4.  On  the  day  of  Pentecost  the  disciples  spoke 
in  “languages”  (see  R.  V.)  and  not  in  tongues, 


276  Personal  Evangelism 

and  of  the  “ wonders  of  God,”  not  of  the  gospel. 
Thus  speaking  there  assembled  the  multitude  to 
whom  Peter  spoke  the  “gospel”  in  a  known  and 
by  all  clearly  understood  tongue.  Peter  thus  an¬ 
ticipated  Paul’s  words  that  he  had  “rather  speak 
five  words  with  my  own  mind  for  the  instruction 
of  other  people  than  ten  thousand  words  in  a 
‘ tongue  ’  ”  (1  Cor.  14: 19,  Moffatt).  God  enjoins 
silence  in  every  public  gathering  upon  all  who 
speak  in  an  unknown  tongue  (language)  unless 
there  be  present  one  who  can  interpret  what  is  be¬ 
ing  said  (1  Cor.  14:27,28).  Further  there  is  to 
be  order  and  not  confusion.  To  say  that  the 
Spirit’s  infilling  removes  the  possibility  of  sin  is 
incorrect  (see  Psalms  89:30-32;  Heb.  12:8),  and 
makes  God  to  be  a  “liar”  (1  John  1:8),  words 
that  were  addressed  to  believers. 

The  gift  of  tongues,  or  to  receive  a  “Pentecost” 
is  not  a  test  of  salvation  nor  of  the  Spirit’s  fill¬ 
ing,  and  we  are  taught  to  “try”  the  spirits  to  see 
if  they  exalt  the  Christ.  Unless  we  can  under¬ 
stand  what  is  being  said  how  is  it  possible  to  know 
that  they  do  thus  exalt  him  (see  1  Cor.  14:9, 
15 :  33-40,  and  1  John  4:1)? 


IV  :  DIVINE  HEALING 

1.  This  is  not  a  tenet  of  the  “Manual”  of  the 
Nazar ene  church  though  it  is  taught  by  some 
Pentecostal  teachers  and  leaders  and  is  stated  as 


Pentecostalism — So-Called  “ Holy  Rollers ”  277 

essential  to  a  full  and  complete  faith  by  the  Church 
of  God,  a  pentecostal  body. 

Our  reply  is  that  “God  is  able,”  but  we  desire 
more  authenticated  evidence  than  is  usually  sub¬ 
mitted  for  some  of  the  extreme  cures  listed.  We 
believe  in  and  can  testify  to  divine  healing 
through  the  prayer  of  faith,  but  dare  not  limit 
God  to  one  method  of  healing,  with  or  without 
remedies.  The  physician,  we  are  persuaded,  who 
learns  the  laws  of  God  and  uses  them  as  restora¬ 
tives  is  practicing  divine  healing  as  truly  as  the 
person  who  resorts  only  to  prayer. 

2.  To  make  healing  a  part  of  the  Atonement 
and  of  as  wide  an  application,  the  same  to  be 
received  with  salvation  or  at  one’s  “pentecost”  is 
to  fly  in  the  face  of  nature  and,  we  are  persuaded, 
to  pervert  the  Scriptures.  We  believe  the  Bible 
without  reservation  and  to  the  limit  but  we  do 
most  assuredly  not  limit  the  power  of  God  in  any 
way,  shape  or  manner.  Dr.  Grenfell  of  Labrador, 
Dr.  Leavell  of  China,  the  writer’s  sanctified 
mother  and  a  million  others  like  them  who  use 
material  means  and  prayer  in  healing,  have  a 
faith  the  quality  and  quantity  of  which  is  not  to 
be  challenged.  To  eliminate  these  and  their 
works  would  be  to  be  blind  to  the  providence  of 
God.  Paul,  by  inspiration,  is  given  enabling 
grace  to  bear  his  “infirmity,”  surely  he  was  a 
saved  man  (2  Cor.  12:7-10).  Was  Paul  mis¬ 
taken  not  to  claim  healing  with  his  salvation? 


278  Personal  Evangelism 

We  must  remember  that  not  all  sickness  is  due 
to  sin  (John  9 :  2,  3),  and  in  the  prayer  for  healing1 
as  commanded  by  James  he  seems  most  clearly  to 
separate  healing  from  the  forgiveness  of  sin 
(James  5 : 13, 14). 

Such  teaching  is  also  cruel.  If  we  accept  that 
doctrine,  one  of  two  things  is  true:  First,  if  the 
believer  falls  ill  that  is  sufficient  evidence  that  he 
has  lost  his  salvation,  for  healing  and  salvation 
are  not  to  be  separated.  Secondly,  if  the  believer 
falls  sick,  continues  to  be  sick,  or  goes  the  way  of 
all  flesh,  then,  logically,  such  an  one  is  not,  was 
not,  or  never  has  been  a  saved  man. 

3.  Much  of  the  leadership  in  this  movement  and 
the  teaching  of  these  doctrines  has  been  by  women. 
Let  us  carefully  ponder  what  the  Word  of  Giod  has 
to  say  about  women  who  assume  ‘ 4 authority’ ’  in 
the  churches  and  be  governed  thereby  (1  Timothy 
2:9-15;  Matt.  23:8-10). 

QUESTIONS 

1.  Why  are  people  so  frequently  and  with  ease  led  to  follow 
these  religious  cults? 

2.  Does  personal  health,  luck,  success  or  peace  of  mind  in¬ 
fluence  people  to  accept  these  different  teachings  ? 

3.  Why  are  so  many  seemingly  good  and  honest  ones  caught? 

4.  What  is  Pentecostalism?  Have  you  looked  up  Scriptural 
sanctification  ? 

5.  Explain  the  error  of  the  “speaking  in  tongues.” 

6.  Why  and  when  should  those  keep  silence  who  speak  in 
languages  ? 


Pentecostalism — So-Called  ccHoly  Rollers”  279 

7.  By  what  may  we  test  these  cults'? 

8.  Give  a  summary  of  this  lesson  with  regard  to  divine 
healing. 

9.  Why  are  we  to  beware  of  that  teaching  about  healing  that 
makes  it  a  part  of  our  Atonement?  What  is  meant  by 
that  doctrine? 

10.  What  does  Paul  have  to  say  about  women  teachers  who 
assume  the  place  of  authority  in  the  churches? 


Chapter  XI 

False  Prophets ;  the  Afflicted ;  the  Obstinate 

The  widespread  and  multiplied  forms  of  error 
now  bidding  for  the  members  of  the  churches  or 
entangling  the  unsaved  and  keeping  them  out  of 
the  Kingdom  are  so  many  as  to  preclude  separate 
treatment  of  each  one.  We  have  chosen,  in  this 
lesson,  to  show  how  we  may  judge  the  falsity  or 
truth  of  all  religious  teaching. 

I:  OUR  WARNING  AND  TEST 

1.  The  Lord  told  us  plainly  that  false  Christs 
would  arise  (Mark  13:22,23).  Such  are  to  heal 
the  sick  and  perform  wonders,  but  that  is  not  to 
be  proof  that  they  come  from  Cod.  Apply  the 
test  of  John  7:17  to  the  leaders  of  these  cults. 
Usually  we  will  find  an  amazing  lack  of  consecra¬ 
tion  to  Christ.  Again  try  2  Tim.  3 : 13-17.  These 
false  cults  all  wrest  the  Word,  laying  great  stress 
upon  a  few  verses,  but  seldom  if  ever  accepting 
the  entire  Book,  and  never  that  alone.  The  Chris¬ 
tian  may  have  wisdom  and  guidance  for  the  ask¬ 
ing  (Jas.  1:5-7),  and  we  are  told  to  call  no  man 
(or  woman)  our  Master  or  Teacher  save  Jesus 

(Matt.  23:8-10).  None  can  exercise  authority 

280 


False  Prophets;  Afflicted ;  Obstinate  281 

save  Christ  and  the  Bible  in  matters  of  faith  and 
practice. 

2.  Every  false  cult  assumes  to  do  the  thinking 
God  expects  each  individual  to  do  as  enlightened 
by  the  Holy  Spirit  and  directed  by  his  Word. 
Priestcraft,  Christian  Science,  Adventism,  Mor- 
monism,  Russellism  and  all  other  delusions  rest 
not  upon  the  authority  of  the  Bible  but  the  asser¬ 
tions  of  some  man,  woman,  or  council,  and  seek 
to  bolster  up  their  positions  by  distorted  and 
unusual  uses  of  the  Word. 

3.  Another  test  is  the  financial  one  (Titus 
1:9-11  and  2  Peter  2:3).  Their  great  swelling 
words  (Jude  24  and  1  Cor.  13:4,  R.  V.)  seldom 
are  in  accord  with  the  Spirit  of  Christ.  The  best 
thing  to  do  is  to  lay  great  emphasis  upon  the  sin¬ 
fulness  of  man  and  the  amazing  love  and  saving 
grace  of  Jesus  Christ.  Present  the  atoning  work 
of  Christ  on  the  single  condition  of  faith  and,  like 
some  foul  fever,  men  will  frequently  come  back 
from  their  delusion  and  hallucination  to  simple 
childlike  faith — from  darkness  back  into  the  light. 

II :  THE  AFFLICTED 

1.  The  sickroom  is  not  always  a  proper  place  to 
do  personal  work.  Thoughtless  people  often  go 
into  sickrooms  without  consulting  physician  or 
nurse,  and  their  visits  are  a  detriment  physically, 
though  they  have  the  best  of  intentions.  There- 


282  Personal  Evangelism 

fore,  be  guarded  how  you  approach  the  sick.  Hos¬ 
pitals  usually  have  rigid  rules  as  to  visits  that  we 
are  compelled  to  obey.  Still  it  is  true  that  sick 
people,  especially  convalescents,  long  for  the  fel¬ 
lowship  of  those  who  are  well,  who  come  from  the 
outside  bringing  radiance  and  good  cheer.  James 
also  tells  us  that  to  visit  the  sick  is  one  mark  of 
true  religion  (James  1:27).  If  we  are  honest, 
most  of  us  will  confess  that  we  sin  more  by  negli¬ 
gence  than  through  the  ignorance  of  zeal. 

2.  Personal  workers  should  be  intelligent  re¬ 
garding  God’s  providences.  All  sickness  is  not 
the  result  of  sin  (John  9:  2,  3),  though,  of  course, 
God  may,  and  does,  use  affliction  as  a  means  of 
restoring  some  backsliders  to  lives  of  consecration 
and  service. 

Much  illness  is  due  to  our  own  carelessness  or 
ignorance,  and  God  is  not  to  be  blamed  whatever. 
The  personal  worker  ought  not  to  dwell  too  much 
upon  symptoms  nor  think  that  sympathy  consists 
in  the  detailed  rehearsal,  to  the  sick  person,  of 
some  greater  illness,  calamity  or  tragedy.  The 
bright,  cheerful  news  of  the  outer  world ;  the 
quiet,  sympathetic  and  well-modulated  tones  of 
the  voice ;  or  even  the  warm  pressure  of  the  hand 
are  often  all  that  is  needed. 

3.  When  possible,  sing  a  verse  of  a  familiar  and 
comforting  hymn  and  read  such  Scripture  pas¬ 
sages  (use  care  and  judgment)  as  Ps.  46: 1-3;  Ps. 
23;  Ps.  27;  Matt.  11:28,29;  1  Peter  1:4-7;  Heb. 


False  Prophets;  Afflicted ;  Obstinate  283 

12 : 5-7, 11.  With  convalescents,  who  have  pro¬ 
gressed  sufficiently  towards  recovery  to  spend 
time  in  reading,  take  them  magazines,  flowers  and 
fruit.  Workers  will  find  such  a  ministry  greatly 
blessed  and  profitable.  Having  won  confidence, 
deal  with  such  along  the  lines  of  salvation,  conse¬ 
cration,  Christian  activity  or  prayer  as  the  case 
seems  to  demand. 

4.  If  death  has  entered  the  home,  there  is  be¬ 
fore  us  a  great  opportunity,  but  again  we  caution 
great  thoughtfulness  lest  we  allow  our  fancies  and 
emotions  to  control  rather  than  the  sure  Word  of 
promise.  If  we  know  our  Bible  we  can  speak  in¬ 
telligently  and  authoritatively  regarding  death 
and  the  future  life.  It  is  no  real  comfort  to  dwell 
upon  grewsome  details  of  sickness  and  death,  and 
again  we  urge  the  use  of  comfort  and  the  right 
kind  of  words  of  courage  and  cheer.  The  Bible 
abounds  in  messages  suitable  to  such  use.  John 
14:1-3,27;  John  13:7;  Ps.  46:10;  Rev.  14:13; 
2  Samuel  12:22,23;  1  Thess.  4:13-18  and  many 
others.  Any  topically  indexed  Bible  will  help  to 
locate  useful  Bible  passages.  But  the  worker  must 
study  each  individual  case  and  rely  upon  the  Holy 
Spirit  for  guidance. 


Ill:  THE  OBSTINATE 

1.  “Do  not  talk  to  me.”  With  such  be  as 
kindly  persistent  as  you  know  how.  Try  to  ex- 


284  Personal  Evangelism 

cite  their  interest;  search  for  a  point  of  contact; 
do  deeds  of  kindness  that  will  win  friendship,  and 
in  the  most  tactful  manner  possible  endeavor  to 
use  such  passages  as  Ps.  81 : 12 ;  Rom.  1 :  21-25,  and 
Rev.  22 : 11. 

2.  “I  am  going  to  have  my  own  way.”  Ac¬ 
knowledge  freely  that  such  is  their  right,  but,  if 
possible,  get  them  to  read  and  understand  such 
passages  as  Prov.  14:12,  30  :12;  Matt.  7:13,14, 
and  1  Peter  4 : 17, 18. 

3.  “Pm  going  to  have  a  good  time  now  and  let 
the  future  take  care  of  itself.” 

(a)  Endeavor  to  show  the  folly  of  this  course  by 
such  passages  as  Luke  16 :  25, 12 : 15,  19 :  21 ;  1  Cor. 
15 :  32-34. 

(b)  Show  the  judgment  of  God  for  such  action 
(Eccles:  11:9;  2  Peter  2:12,  and  Rom.  2:5-11). 


QUESTIONS 

1.  What  is  the  Master’s  warning  regarding  false  teachers? 

2.  Why  are  “wondrous  works”  not  always  an  evidence  of 
truth  ? 

3.  What  are  the  tests  whereby  we  may  know  false  from  true 
teachers? 

4.  What  is  the  warning  as  regards  dealing  with  the  sick? 

5.  Give  several  reasons  for  doing  personal  work  in  the  sick¬ 
room  or  in  hospitals. 

6.  Is  all  sickness  the  result  of  sin  on  the  part  of  the  sick 
one? 


False  Prophets ;  Afflicted;  Obstinate  285 

7.  What  ought  we  to  avoid  making  reference  to  when  meet¬ 
ing  those  who  are 'sick? 

8.  Tell  how  you  would  meet  those  who  have  lost  dear  ones. 

9.  Outline  fully  the  section  of  this  lesson  dealing  with  the 
obstinate. 


Chapter  XII 

Suggestions  and  Conclusion 

We  make  no  apology  for  a  seeming  repetition  in 
this  chapter  of  some  things  heretofore  mentioned. 
We  repeat  that  there  is  no  royal  road  to  success  in 
doing  personal  evangelism,  it  cannot  be  done  by 
any  rule  of  thumb,  and,  as  in  every  other  walk  or 
profession  of  life,  we  “ learn  to  do  by  doing.’ ’ 

Every  suggestion  we  have  made  in  these  lessons 
has  been  abundantly  tested  in  the  crucible  of  ex¬ 
perience  either  by  the  writer  or  by  others  who  have 
been  largely  blessed  in  this  line  of  endeavor. 

I:  AGE  AND  SEX 

As  a  rule  the  evangelist  will  succeed  best  the 
closer  he  remains  to  those  of  his  own  age.  A  cor¬ 
respondence  of  sexes  is  also  important.  Of  course 
there  are  exceptions,  but  they  are  exceptions,  and 
ought  to  be  the  result  of  the  clear  leading  of  the 
Spirit.  By  following  this  rule  many  unfortunate 
complications  will  be  avoided.  Older  people  can 
speak  to  younger  ones,  but  the  reverse  is  seldom 
successful.  The  recognition  of  social  and  class 
distinctions  is  also  wise,  but  not,  of  necessity,  a 

rule.  Baron  Uxkull,  a  great  lay  religious  leader 

286 


Suggestions  and  Conclusion  287 

of  the  Czarist  days  of  Russia,  was  led  to  Christ 
by  one  of  his  servants,  and  Lord  Shaftesbury  re¬ 
ceived  much  of  his  religious  training  from  his  gov¬ 
erness. 


II :  TIME,  PLACE  AND  NUMBER 

There  is  no  set  hour  for  this  work.  The  Spirit- 
led  worker  will  be  wisely  led,  but  even  so  he  must 
exercise  tact  and  judgment.  As  a  rule,  deal  with 
but  one  person  at  a  time.  This  will  avoid  any 
embarrassment.  Workers  will  seldom  make  head¬ 
way  if  they  attempt  to  deal  with  more  than  one 
person  at  a  time.  Two  or  more  are  apt  to  bolster 
up  each  other  in  a  continuance  of  a  life  of  dis¬ 
obedience. 

Always  be  courteous.  Self-esteemed  superior¬ 
ity,  dogmatic  demands,  assumption  of  superior 
knowledge  or  any  assertion  of  personal  rights  will 
surely  tend  to  drive  men,  women  and  children  from 
the  personal  evangelist. 

When  we  deal  with  the  souls  of  men  it  is  with 
the  most  sensitive  thing  in  the  world;  easily  of¬ 
fended  and  ready  to  draw  within  itself  on  the 
slightest  provocation. 

hi:  OUR  DEPENDENCE 

1.  As  already  stated  (Part  One,  Chapter  VII) 
our  whole  and  full  reliance  must  be  upon  the  Holy 


288  Personal  Evangelism 

Spirit.  Self-confidence  and  boldness  should  be 
that  of  the  Spirit.  We  have  seen  scores  of  Chris¬ 
tian  workers  fall  by  the  wayside  discouraged,  and 
sometimes  even  enter  into  sin,  who  set  out  in  the 
energy  of  the  flesh  or  boasted  of  what  they  had 
done. 

2.  While  looking  to  the  Spirit,  remember  that 
the  Word  is  his  1  ‘ sword’ ’  and  therewith  he  does 
his  most  effectual  work. 

Do  not  merely  read  passages  of  the  Bible;  get 
the  one  with  whom  you  are  dealing  to  read  for 
himself,  if  possible.  Frequently  we  make  the  mis¬ 
take  of  using  too  many  different  passages,  though 
often  it  is  wise  to  “  bombard  ”  with  much  Scrip¬ 
ture.  Always  hold  the  one  with  whom  you  are 
dealing  to  the  main  point  of  accepting  Christ. 
Avoid  diversions  as  much  as  possible  and  never 
get  into  an  argument.  It  is  folly  to  discuss  side 
issues  with  unregenerate  men. 

IV :  OUR  OBJECTIVE 

1.  Of  course  church  membership  is  a  worthy 
goal  towards  which  to  direct  those  with  whom  we 
deal,  but  it  is  not  our  chief  nor  the  greatest  task. 
Our  goal  is  to  articulate  souls  with  Jesus  Christ 
as  Savior  and  Lord.  The  danger  of  talking  too 
much  or  too  soon  of  church  membership  is  that 
the  substitution  of  church  membership  for  the  re¬ 
generation  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  one  of  the  most 


Suggestions  and  Conclusion  289 

frequent  artifices  of  the  devil,  and  personal  evan¬ 
gelists  will  unconsciously  be  helping  the  evil  one 
unless  they  rightly  state  or  present  their  objective. 

2.  Having  said  that,  we  hasten  to  emphasize 
the  need  of  doing  a  full  and  complete  work  by 
leading  our  friends  into  church  membership  and 
a  life  of  Christian  service,  not  leaving  them  to  be 
satisfied  by  a  mere  confession  of  faith  in  Christ. 
The  confession  should  be  but  a  step,  whereas, 
Christian  living  and  service  are  a  walk. 

3.  This  means  that  we  must  emphasize  the  need 
of  an  open  confession  (Matt.  10:32,33;  Rom. 
10 :  9, 10;  Mark  8:38).  We  must  help  and  counsel 
those  who  neglect  the  Bible  (1  Peter  2:2).  The 
Psalmist  has  given  us  many  suggestions  in  this 
regard,  such  as  Psalm  119:9,  11,  130.  (See  also 
Josh.  1 :  8  and  Acts  17 : 11.)  There  are  professors 
of  faith  who  neglect  prayer  (Luke  18:1),  and 
hence  the  need  of  great  care  and  wise  suggestions 
in  this  regard  (Luke  11:9-13;  Ps.  55:17;  Mark 
6:46;  Luke  6:12;  1  Thess.  5:17).  But  one  of  the 
greatest  drawbacks  we  will  have  to  meet  is  the 
professed  Christian  who  leads  a  careless  life.  If 
possible  get  such  a  one  to  read  passages  like  1 
John  2:15-17;  James  4:4,  6,  8;  1  Peter  1:13-19 
and  4 : 17, 18 ;  Luke  21 :  34-36 ;  Rom.  12 : 1,  2. 

Do  not  lose  patience,  but  by  sweet  perseverance 
get  him  to  see  the  large  and  the  glorious  privi¬ 
lege,  to  say  nothing  of  the  rewards  of  satisfac¬ 
tion,  in  working  whole-heartedly  for  Christ.  With 


290  Personal  Evangelism 

such  people  Mark  13 :  34-37  and  Matt.  24 : 44-51 
and  25 : 14-30  will  also  be  helpful. 

The  “Law  of  Personal  Evangelism”  is  first  to 
have  a  real  love  for  the  salvation  of  men,  live  a 
life  of  prayer,  pay  the  price  of  successful  labor, 
and  give  God  the  glory.  We  must  pray,  work  and 
love. 


QUESTIONS 

1.  Why  is  it  best  to  adhere  to  age  and  sex  in  doing  personal 
work? 

2.  Is  this  an  inflexible  rule?  Give  an  illustration  from 
experience. 

3.  What  can  you  say  regarding  a  proper  time  and  place  for 
personal  evangelism? 

4.  From  whence  should  the  worker's  boldness  proceed  ?  Give 
an  appropriate  Scripture. 

5.  Tell  what  you  can  about  using  the  Bible  in  personal 
evangelism. 

6.  Why  is  church  membership  not  our  chief  objective? 

7.  Outline  fully  the  things  suggested  in  Section  IV,  para¬ 
graph  three. 

8.  What  is  one  of  our  chief  hindrances  in  doing  the  work 
of  personal  evangelism? 

9.  What  ought  we  to  try  to  do  with  this  class? 

10.  What  is  the  concluding  ‘Taw  of  Personal  Evangelism"  ? 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 


How  to  Work  for  Christ ,  Dr.  R.  A.  Torrey. 
With  Christ  After  the  Lost,  Dr.  L.  R.  Scar¬ 
borough. 

Personal  Soul  Winning,  Dr.  William  Evans. 
Talks  on  Soul  Winning,  Dr.  E.  Y.  Mullins. 
Individual  Work  for  Individuals ,  Henry  Clay 
Trumbull. 

Studies  for  Personal  Workers,  Dr.  Howard  A. 
Johnston. 

Recruiting  Men  for  Christ,  Dr.  John  Timothy 
Stone. 

Winning  to  Christ,  Dr.  P.  E.  Burroughs. 

Christ  Among  Men,  James  McConaughy. 
Salvation,  Dr.  Lewis  Sperry  Chaeer. 

Twice  Born  Men,  Harold  Begbie. 

Men  and  the  Kingdom,  Dr.  J.  C.  Massee. 

The  Efficient  Layman,  Dr.  Henry  F.  Cope. 

Men  and  Religion,  Men  and  Religion  Forward 
Movement. 


291 


Princeton 


heological  Seminary  Libraries 


1  1012  01236  3844 


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